A Streak of Crimson
by Katsurao
Summary: The idiotic love story between Aomine and Kagami. Slightly AU.
1. Chapter 1

Decided to write this about AoKaga pairing. Side pairings may occur. First time posting to this site, so I'd appreciate any reviews or commentary. Also decided to start it off slow, and rather lighthearted. Any events may or may not be in line with the true Kuroko no Basuke timeline.

This story is written in extremely short bursts. As soon as each chapter is written, they are uploaded without edits to the story (sometimes I go back and edit typos/grammar). I wanted them to be permanent, and I hope that it will create an enjoyable and spontaneous story. Thanks for reading.

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><p>"Aomine?!" Kagami Taiga shouted as he observed the lifeless figure in his arms. The body was sprawled in the snow, limbs dangling uselessly as Kagami attempted to lift the man. Blood oozed down the side of his face, pooling into thick beads on his chin.<p>

"Oi! Wake up!" The redhead shouted once again.

Drip.

"Somebody! Call the police!" His scarlet eyes darted around, looking for somebody- anybody.

Drip.

Feeling warmth at his side, Aomine Daiki opened his eyes, and painfully directed his gaze upwards.

_...Ka..ga..mi..?_ His mouth went through all the motions, but no sound came. Feeling his last bit of strength leave him, Aomine's consciousness drifted, the last thing he saw being a streak of crimson.

Drip.


	2. Chapter 2

The smell of disinfectant ambushed Momoi Satsuki's nose as she maneuvered her way through the hospital. She arrived at the elevator and glanced up at the number: 13.

_This is taking way too long_. She looked at her watch again. _Forget it._ With that last thought in mind, she made for the stairs. It was only the fourth floor anyway- she can run it.

She stopped outside 403 and sucked in a deep breath. _It'll be okay_.

"Hii! Dai-chan! I've come to visit you!" She paused as a few people in the room turned to look at her- all whom she already knew very well.

Standing next to the head of the bed was Kise Ryouta, a model trying to look as cheery as ever. Next to Kise was Kuroko Tetsuya, a small boy with piercing blue eyes. His face was as emotionless as always. Sitting in a chair in the corner of the room was Kagami Taiga, who was fiddling with his fingers, wondering if he should really be there. Kagami was acquainted with Aomine, but he was in no way close. Being in such a delicate situation and unsure of what to do, he has resigned to blend in with the scenery.

On the bed, however, Aomine Daiki wore a confused look. Momoi had expected the reply that came after, seeing as she talked briefly with Kise before she bolted out the door and flagged a cab down.

"Sorry miss..but you are..?" Aomine flashed a bright smile at Momoi.

Momoi dropped her purse on the floor, unable to comprehend this situation. "Ki-chan...what...WHO IS THIS CHARMING AND POLITE MAN?!" If it had been her old Dai-chan, she would never dream of hearing herself being addressed as 'miss,' let alone see this blinding smile.

"I DON'T KNOW EITHER! Aominecchi started acting weird when he woke up! I-I called you as fast as I could but then you hung up before i could finish!" Kise blurted out.

"Ah...I heard that I lost my memories, but I did not imagine that you would be the one who could not recognize me." Aomine continued, sensing confusion in his visitors.

"Tetsu-chan..? Am I dreaming? Tell me I'm dreaming. Life can't do this to me! I struggled all this time to get him to go back to the nice way he used to be and all of a sudden he gets knocked on the head and becomes EVEN BETTER? No, no, no, no, no! Life is too cruel!"

Kuroko, unfazed by the waterfall from her eyes, explained, "That girl who just got really loud is your childhood friend, Momoi Satsuki-san. You used to ignore her. Continue doing so."

At this, Aomine let loose a chuckle, "I don't think I can bring myself to ignore such a beautiful lady."

This time, Kise froze and the phone he was holding clattered to the floor. "I...can't believe this...what the heck is going on..? This Aominecchi is so..nice. I think I am falling in love. Ow-"

Kuroko was feeling slightly irritated at everyone's outbursts and decided to end it with a jab to the stomach. He couldn't help but smile discretely, however; seeing Aomine and the rest of his friends looking at the situation lightheartedly has driven his own fears away.

"By the way Aomine-kun, your parents moved out of the country last year, so you have been living alone since. I don't want you staying alone when you are released from the hospital, so can I ask you to go with Momoi-san?" Kuroko decided that Momoi would be the best choice, since her parents already knew him and she was his childhood friend.

Aomine gave her a look and found himself glancing to the corner. The man just sat there, looking on as the friends had their rather unexpected reunion. Their eyes met and Kagami glanced away, still embarassed to be in the room and feeling a little left out.

"Ah...actually...could I stay with Kagami-kun there? I feel like staying at a lady's house is rather...intrusive." Aomine flashed a bright smile as he said this, and all eyes darted to the redhead.

"Hah?!" Kagami went wide-eyed at Aomine's suggestion. How could he let Aomine stay at his apartment? He was nowhere near as close as Momoi- in fact, far from it. Aomine might even have had feelings bordering on hatred for the man.

"Hmm..." Kuroko started, "True. Kagami-kun _does_ live alone. He can also cook. I guess it wouldn't be such a bad idea."

"Hah?!" Kagami voiced his complaint again.

"I do think Kagamin would be able to take care of Dai-chan well..since he would probably die from my cooking. I think it's a good idea."

"Hah?!" Kagami repeated his complaint.

"Yay! Kagamicchi can finally do something that isn't basketball for once! And when he's preoccupied, Kaijo will get stronger than Seirin!" Kise sniggered.

"Oi, oi, oi! Don't I get a say in this?!" Kagami tried again to voice his complaints, but still to no avail.

"Nope!" The three friends grinned happily, and, quite discretely, a smile had spread across Aomine's face.


	3. Chapter 3

_Click. _The hospital room has finally emptied as the last visitors left.

_So it's finally quiet._ Aomine thought to himself as he mulled over the night's events. He had been told that he was sleeping for a week, and that his friends came as soon as Kagami called. The doctor had also told him that he was a high school student attending Touou, and his injuries seemed to have come from a concussion to the head. As to the origins of the concussion, he was not sure. There was also a stab wound in his abdomen, but that was also treated and shouldn't run the risk of any infections. His hand moved to rub his temple, but instead, felt the bandages around his head.

_I've really lost everything, huh? _Aomine chuckled at this thought as his hands fell to his sides. Regardless of the state he was in, he felt a sense of relief. He felt as if his friends genuinely cared about him, even if no one seemed to voice their worries and concerns much. He sighed as he stared up at the ceiling.

_I might have been a good person after all, if all these people stuck by me after I've lost everything. Ah..who was it..? Kagami-kun, eh? _Aomine smiled to himself as he pronounced the name, unable to forget those fiery red eyes. He wondered why he even suggested the idea of living with the redhead instead.

As his thoughts left him, he brought his hands to his mouth and huffed into them. _Has it always been this cold in here?_ He quickly tucked himself back into the blankets, and unable to come up with any explanation as well as sporting a tremendous headache, Aomine resolved to go to sleep for the night.

_Kagami. I suppose I really do like the color red. Huh?_

With that last thought, Aomine fell into a deep slumber. In his sleep he dreamt of himself, lying in the snow, cold and alone.


	4. Chapter 4

_Click_. Aomine turned as he saw a pair of red eyes glance in nervously. Kagami sighed and attempted to put on the most natural smile he could muster.

"Uh, h-hey, Aomine..I'm Kagami. Remember?" He walked over and placed a basket of fruits on the endtable. Gesturing towards the chair by the bed, "may I?"

Aomine stared at Kagami, eyes unwavering, "Of course."

Kagami plopped himself down on the chair. Staring at the floor, he continued, "so, uh, you'll be moving in with me as soon as you're released from the hospital. My apartment is a little smaller than you're used to, since you practically lived in a luxury apartment. I hope you'll like it though!" Kagami glanced up and met Aomine's gaze.

"..you don't like me very much do you?"

"W-what?! What makes you say that?!" Embarassed, Kagami averted his eyes.

"You seem to be rather nervous around me, unlike Kise-kun, Momoi-san, or even Kuroko-kun. It doesn't seem like we're close friends. I bet you're just feeling forced in this situation. I can just let Momoi-san know that I would like to be in her care after all."

"N-no! Wait! Uh, it's just that we used to call each other names and stuff, so I'm not used to the _current_ you. But we're friends, so it's fine! R-really!" Kagami cursed at himself for not being able to hide hide his nervousness. How could he let a sick person get worried over stuff like this? Sure, they were practically mortal enemies, but this man in front of him is...different. Besides, he needed someone to take care of him while he recovers, and Kagami couldn't just leave him there. It'll be fine, right?

"You're lying."

_Damn. Was Aomine always this perceptive? Is he a mind reader or something?_

"No, I am _not_ a mind reader. It's just that you wear your emotions on your sleeves."

Kagami's jaw dropped. After what seemed like minutes, he glanced back at Aomine, their eyes meeting once again. He suppose he had to come clean..

"Okay, so we weren't the best of friends. I guess we can be considered rivals. So that means we at least know each other, and no way in hell am I going to sit and watch you walking around in Momoi's house with impure thoughts. You're staying with me. That's final."

Aomine sensed that, for once, there was no hesitation in Kagami's voice. His eyes darted to the window and he grinned.

"Alright. I guess I can't have my way with her afterall."


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, Daiki." There was a pause.

"Daiki." Nothing.

"DAIKI."

Startled from his thoughts, Aomine looked up. "Ah, Kagami-san, you've come again. But uhm, why are you using my given name? I didn't recognize my own name for a second there."

Kagami shrugged and started peeling a pear, "I figured that since you already saw through me, I won't have any need for formalities, right? Might as well just skip straight to your given name and ignore all the other mumbo-jumbo."

"Ah..you have a point."

Kagami gave Aomine a long stare. "And you. You should stop calling me Kagami-san. It sends goosebumps up my spine. A lot of goosebumps. Gross."

At that, Aomine burst out in laughter. He had no idea a name would be able to set someone off like that. "I think I'll stick to Kagami-_san_, after all." Aomine playfully stated.

Kagami looked down at him with disgust, aiming the knife he was holding at Aomine, "Aargh! Stop it with the -_san. _It's gross. Just Kagami is fine. Even Taiga is better."

Aomine didn't know if he could, but he put on the most loving voice he could muster, "then, _Taiga_-kun, I'll be looking forward to your loving care."

Kagami was stoned. The pear and knife he was holding dropped into the trashcan he was hovering over. "Please..don't ever try to kill me like that again.."

"..ah? I was just calling out to you since you wanted to hear my loving voice say your name. Was it not enough, _Taiga_?" Aomine's eyes twinkled and he wore a mischievous grin.

Kagami flushed, "Ugh. Stop, stop, stop. Just go back to Kagami-san. I can at least listen to that without thinking I'm engaged to you."

"But _aren't_ you?" Aomine chuckled as Kagami fished the knife out from the trashcan.

"Ugh, even if your choice of words is like an angel's, you're still the same jerk I know...forget it. Just..call me whatever. I'll just go jump off a bridge or something when I get fed up. Now excuse me while I go wash this knife so that I can peel some fruit for my _fiance_."

Aomine smiled as Kagami left the room.


	6. Chapter 6

"Aominecchi! I've come to visit you!" Kise bounded from the hall, sporting an excited grin.

Aomine saw the familiar face and smiled, "Ah, Kise-kun, was it?"

"Kyaa! You remember me?!"

"Yeah. You're that famous model friend. Aren't you supposed to be busy?"

"Ehehe, I've taken my whole day off to play with you, since Kagamicchi has practice today. He skipped way too many times to see you after school and Rikocchi is reaaaaally mad at him! Ah-Rikocchi is his coach." Aomine stared at the fruits by his bed. _So that's why there were more fruits than usual yesterday. Heh. He's pretty attentive._

"Well, I'm glad you're here, Kise-kun."

"I'm glad too! I just wish your memories would-" Kise cut himself off, but it was too late, seeing as his friend already noticed.

* * *

><p>"Hey Kise." Kagami greeted when the model answered.<p>

"Kagamicchi! What a nice surprise!"

"Listen, uh, today I'm going to be busy at practice with Kuroko. Do you mind dropping by to visit Daiki?"

"Hm? Yeah! There's no practice today and my modelling has been really flexible lately! I'll go visit for sure!" Kise was excited to be visiting his friend again, since he held Aomine in high admiration, "How are his memories by the way? Did he remember us yet?"

"Hah..? Ah...nah. He still hasn't remembered a thing. I think he's been trying whenever he's alone to remember something. I always walk in on him deep in thought."

"Hmm..maybe I can help jog his memory when I visit!"

There was a pause.

"Ah...let's..not do that. I think he's trying really hard so I don't think we should stress him any further. Just go in there and be the usual you! I'm sure he would enjoy that more than seeing my grumpy face everyday."

The blonde pondered this for a bit, "Okay then! I'll make sure he has the greatest time of his life with good ol' Kise!"

* * *

><p>"It's quite alright. You don't have to be careful about that around me. Ask away"<p>

Kise scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "So still nothing, huh?"

"No. I'm afraid not. The only thing I remember was that right before I fainted, there was a streak of crimson. It felt...warm somehow. I've been trying to remember what happened before and after that, but nothing came up." Aomine's face darkened as he voiced his thoughts, and Kise couldn't help but feel that the man looked lonely. His expressions state otherwise, but behind those, deep in his dark blue eyes, Kise could see something resembling himself.

"I'm sorry I asked." He could feel his guilt rising. The atmosphere in the room had shifted, and Aomine retracted back into his own thoughts. Kise no longer felt that he could stay. He felt that he couldn't leave either, since he promised Kagami to look after Aomine, so he just sat in his chair, nervously awaiting the next time Aomine decided to speak. Soon, Kise felt himself space out and he completely didn't notice when Aomine had been staring him down.

"You know, I'm actually a little tired today. You can head home first, I'll just take a nice nap."

Kise looked up, "huh? Oh- uh...yeah. I'll be going then. Ah- I forgot. You're being released from the hospital tomorrow! Kagamicchi will pick you up in the morning."

With that, Kise got up and started walking away. Glancing back quickly, he saw Aomine's smile fading from his lips.

_Sleep well, Aomine...cchi..._


	7. Chapter 7

_Drip._

_..what is it..?_

_Drip._

_..is this...my blood...?_

_Drip._

_..I see. I'm dying._

_Drip._

_"Aomine?!"_

_Hnn? ..who is it..?_

_Drip._

_"Oi, wake up!"_

* * *

><p>The window was slightly open, and a cold breeze swept across Aomine's. Sunlight streamed in, bathing his whole body, yet he did not feel warm. He pulled the blankets up and snuggled back into the corner of the bed. Before he could even get settled, however, his blankets were yanked up from him, leaving him shivering in the cold breeze.<p>

"Oi! I told you to wake up like ten times already. Get your lazy ass out of bed. Now." The voice belonged to Kagami, who did not appear the slightest bit happy at the repeat of this routine.

Aomine had been released from the hospital a week ago. Following that, he moved right in with Kagami. His clothes as well as any daily necessities were pilfered from his own home by the redhead. The bed in Kagami's room had been given to the guest, while a futon had been laid out each night in the living room. Kagami made all the meals, and whenever he went to school, he would make extra. He also insisted that they ate together whenever possible, since Aomine had been lazing about everyday and skipped meals from time to time.

"Hnnn. It's cold.." Aomine stretched a hand toward the blanket, making a grabbing motion. Kagami, however, had other thoughts, and with one hand, threw the blanket into the chair. With the other, he grabbed Aomine's outreached hand and pulled him up.

Aomine's eyes snapped open and glared at Kagami, "What gives, Kagami-_san_?"

Undeterred, Kagami turned around, and swung Aomine onto his back as he headed to the bathroom. "_What gives_, is that I have to leave for school in 30 minutes, and your lazy ass isn't up yet."

Aomine repositioned himself on Kagami's back and closed his eyes.

"Oi! Are you sleeping again?! I'm going to be late!" Kagami walked into the bathroom and caught a glimpse at the mirror. Aomine looked like he'd been sleeping peacefully on his back. Kagami proceeded to jump up and down.

"Whoa! Okay. Okay. I'm up. Now stop jumping like a monkey and giving me a freaking headache." Kagami smiled. Over the past month that they've known each other, Aomine had been dropping much of the polite speech with him. He felt like Aomine had been warming up to him, and it gave him the sense that looking after another person might not be so bad. It'd be like keeping a pet. A lazy, constantly cold, giant-cat-like pet. He let Aomine down from his back and walked out, "Breakfast will be ready in 5. Hurry up."

* * *

><p>"Kagami-<em>san<em>, I'd appreciate it if you refrained from attempting treating me like a sack of potatoes next time and more like a sick patient. Next time, you might end up with more than a few scratches." Aomine stuffed a pancake into his mouth.

_Old habits die hard, eh? He's still eating like a slob. _Kagami sniggered to himself. _He's a little more chatty than before though. Wonder if I can tape his mouth shut._

"I suggest that you also don't get any stupid ideas about shutting me up." Aomine continued as he glared at Kagami.

"Stop reading my mind!" Kagami glared back across the table.

"No. And would you look at the time? You're going to be late." Aomine smirked.

"Ah-shit! Look what you did! Ugh. Gotta run. Bye."

With that, Kagami stuffed another pancake in his mouth and proceeded to bolt out the door.

_..bye_. Each morning that Kagami left, Aomine felt unusually cold. He finished his breakfast and cleared the plates. He then proceeded to climb back into bed, pulling the covers over his head. _It's cold._


	8. Chapter 8

It had been a quiet day in the gym at Seirin. Hyuuga, Kiyoshi, as well as Riko were huddled in a corner of the gym, talking amongst themselves. Kuroko has always been quiet and reserved. At this point in time he was simply practicing his shots at the basket and missing quite terribly. Kagami on the other hand, sat himself down against a wall and just proceeded to roll a basketball around his lap. The rest of the team had been given the day off for study break.

_Sigh. Why did I show up to practice? I'm just being bored out of my mind. _Kagami had not been worrying about Aomine lately, since he has proven that he is more than capable of staying at home by himself. _He has a bed, food, and a personal maid- ME. I'm sure he'll be fine._

A few moments earlier he had been curious as to what the senpais were doing, and stepped within their territory.

Riko wasted no time screaming at him, "WE'RE DECIDING THE FATE OF OUR TEAM! GO AWAY AND DO SOME JUMPING JACKS OR SOMETHING!" Hence, his current state.

Suddenly, the gym doors flew open and in came Momoi.

"Momoi! I thought today was going to be boring. Let's have a one-on-one!" Kagami was too eager for his own good.

"..Tetsu-chan...Kagami is bullying mee!" Momoi's tears started flowing again, "He knows I can't play for my life so he decided to make fun of my playing!"

"W-what?! I didn't! I just wanted to play with you!" Kagami shouted back in his defence.

Kuroko eyed the man, "Kagami. That's lewd."

Momoi realized the innuendo in the statement and covered her chest, "I knew it! He's a pervert! Dai-chan wasn't enough! He wants me too! Tetsu-chan, save me!" She leapt towards Kuroko and wrapped him in her embrace.

"Ugh. I hate you guys. What do you want?" Kagami glowered.

"Oh, I just wanted to drop by and see how Dai-chan is doing. I was checking to see how many times you've already taken him to bed."

Kuroko snickered as Kagami blushed red. "I-I-I didn't do anything! He's just sleeping in my bed!" Kagami blurted out.

There was a pause as they realize what he said.

"...oh?" Momoi couldn't help laughing.

"Shut up! That wasn't what I meant! I wasn't going to let a sick person sleep on the floor!"

Kuroko jabbed Kagami, "So you guys did it on the floor. That's no way to treat a sick person."

"Ow! W-wait. That wasn't-" Kagami groaned, "ugh. Forget it. Think what you want."

"Hehe, sorry Kagamin, I didn't mean to tease. Here, I got a present for Dai-chan." She pulled out a box. Kagami opened it to reveal a metal ring, with a gemstone in the middle. The label etched in gold on the box read 'Smokes and Mirrors-Aquamarine.'

"Ki-chan gave it to me. And now I'm giving it to you. Make sure he gets it!"

"..Hah? a ring...?" Kagami was surprised at the gift.

All of a sudden, Riko screamed, "WE GOT IT!"

All eyes turned to the corner, with the two senpais looking grim. Riko waved them off, "We're going on a trip."

A sense of dread spread through Kagami and Kuroko.


	9. Chapter 9

Kagami dragged his feet as he made his way to the supermarket. Hearing Riko elaborate further on her 'trip' was worse than facing his fear of dogs. One look at those creatures and you can tell that they are little demons in disguise, with Riko being the demon queen of them all.

_I always knew they were of the same species. _Kagami dwelled on this until he realized that he was sure there was another demon in his life.

_Aomine is probably the demon king in disguise. Ugh. The bastard had been the worst back then. It just seemed like he was picking on me. I don't see him treat Kuroko that way. Then again, he does treat his teammates pretty terribly. But it's especially bad on me! Aargh. I wanna strangle him. _Kagami started chuckling to himself. _Ah, what I wouldn't give to see his face when he realizes how he's acting now._

The redhead felt his spirits lift slightly, and continued his walk to the store. How was he going to tell Aomine that he had to go on a trip for a week? Well, it wasn't so much of a trip as a training montage, but it was just the same- Aomine was going to be left alone. Sure, he had been alone before, but a week is not exactly the same as half a day.

Kagami pulled the box from Kise out of his jacket pocket and stared at it, wondering whether Aomine had been the kind of person to wear a ring. _What an odd gift. Is Kise out of his mind? _

Tucking the thought to the back of his mind and replacing the box into his pocket, Kagami walked through the doors of the store. If he was gone for a week, he would have to cook enough servings of food to last Aomine. He thought of making a gigantic pot of curry, and made his way to the familiar aisles. Kagami found himself smiling to himself again. The process of cooking- from the shopping, to the preparation, to the frying and boiling- had always calmed his thoughts. Even the thought of the hellish training and lonely Aomine seemed distant as he proceeded to checkout.

As soon as Kagami stepped outside, a cold front smacked him in the face.

_Jeez. Was it always this cold?_ Suddenly, thoughts of Aomine on _that _day surfaced. _He looked so..lifeless and...dead. Why was he even on my street? What the hell happened to him? And what about his memories? _Questions were continuously brought forth to his consciousness, and he waved his hand in the air to try to get rid of them.

_..maybe I'll buy him a Kotatsu. That'll keep him warm._ Kagami smiled again at this last thought as he headed home.

* * *

><p>Aomine sprawled himself out on the couch as he stared out the window, lost in thought.<p>

_Drip._

_Blood rolled off his chin._

_Drip._

_His white undershirt had been dyed crimson._

_Drip._

_"..Bakagami...where are..you..?"_

Aomine's eyes snapped open, a thin veil of sweat on his skin.

_What was that? A memory? I...was looking for Kagami? _

The sweat on his skin was drying up, and he shivered in response. Aomine hunched over as he lifted himself off the couch, rubbing his arms for warmth. He grabbed a change of clothes from Kagami's room and walked into the bathroom. He continued to shiver as he fumbled around with the buttons on his clothes. Giving up, he simply dove into the hot shower, and finally relaxed as the spray of water hit him. He felt himself dragged back to his thoughts as his body eased.

_Kagami...was he important to me? Why was I there? What happened to me? Why am I so glad when he's around me?_ Aomine blushed as he thought about these things. Failing to reach any sort of answers, he turned off the shower and threw off his wet clothes. Drying himself off and changing into new clothes, he gave the mirror one last look before he turned and bolted into the bedroom. He wrapped himself in the sheets and awaited for Kagami's return.

_..Even my eyes are cold._


	10. Chapter 10

Kagami walked through the door to his apartment and peered around. The apartment was completely dark and Aomine was nowhere to be seen. "I'm hooome!"

Sensing no response, Kagami continued further into his apartment.

"Daiki?"

Nothing.

Aomine had made it a point to always be waiting when Kagami came home. A feeling of dread crept into Kagami as he thought about the possibilities. He dropped his bag and groceries and ran into the living room. A quick scan told him Aomine was not here nor in the kitchen. Kagami darted towards the bathroom, and out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a streak of blue. He swallowed and slowly turned toward his bedroom. He stepped into his own room as his eyes took in everything. His throat went dry.

Kagami was suddenly reminded of the day he found Aomine near his apartment. He was lying on his bed, his face expressionless. All color was drained from the man's face as he stayed motionless. Almost like- dare he imagine it- a corpse. Kagami seized the lifeless body and shook as hard as he could.

"Oi, Daiki! Oi, wake up!" Tears had started forming, and Kagami fought to hold them back, "Please, not again! Wake the fuck up!"

"..hnn?"

Aomine's voice brought Kagami back to reality. A sense of relief surged through his body, as he continued to hold the other man in his arms. Only then did Kagami notice that this body was different from the one he held that day. _This body is warm._ A smile crept onto Kagami's face. He mumbled, "..you scared me, idiot.."

"Ah? What was that?" Aomine had been roused from his sleep much too roughly for his liking. He couldn't even register what Kagami had said to the man.

"U-uhm, it's nothing. I-I, uh, just thought that you shouldn't sleep so much." Kagami flushed. What was he doing? He didn't have to freak out like that. He turned his face away as soon as he realized that tears had also been falling. Had he always been so afraid of someone dying? Enough to bring tears to his face?

Aomine's blue eyes darted to Kagami's face. That one look told him everything he needed to know. Kagami sensed an intense gaze on him and pulled back, "W-what's wrong with you? I got something on my face, huh? I'll clean it up in the bathroom."

Kagami decided that it was best for him to leave before he embarassed himself any further. Before he could get very far, however, he felt a hand on his wrist and the next thing he knew he was lying on the bed. Kagami had closed his eyes to brace for the impact. As soon as he opened them, he realized he was gazing into unwavering blue eyes.

Kagami averted his eyes and tried to get up, but as soon as he budged, he felt a strong hand on his chest pushing him back down. He froze and waited for the hand to be removed, but instead it lingered. Another hand crept up to Kagami's face, brushing his neck ever so gently. Kagami held his breath as he glanced back into those piercing blue eyes. The air turned still and Kagami found himself unable to tear his eyes away.

All of a sudden, Aomine's hands pinched Kagami's face.

"Ow! Ow, ow, ow! Stop!" Kagami cried out in pain.

"Kagami-_san_, please don't go _killing_ me off whenever you please." Aomine rolled back into the corner of the bed, collecting the blankets around him and wrapping himself in them.

Kagami, still lying on the bed, couldn't believe what had happened. _What was that?!_

He felt a sudden kick in his back and he soon found himself lying on the floor. The box in his jacket also clattered to the floor. _Clink_.

"Ow! Okay! I get it!" The redhead took turned and saw the box. "Oh, yeah. Kise wanted to give this to you. I'm putting it on the desk."

Kagami picked the box back up and placed it on the desk. He started to walk out as he heard Aomine mumble into his pillow, "..I'm not going anywhere.."

Kagami chuckled, "..yeah, sorry." A smile returned to his face as he headed to the hall for the groceries he dropped.


	11. Chapter 11

Kagami's eyes widened and he whipped around as soon as he felt the breath on his neck. His gaze was met by none other than Aomine. Kagami had been deep in thought as he was cooking dinner and completely missed the click of the door when Aomine strolled in.

"Yo. What's for dinner?" Aomine flashed his no-longer-so-rare-yet-so-radiant-smile.

Kagami's shock quickly turned to anger, "W-what the hell, you stupid idiot? I thought there was a freaking ghost behind me!"

"..ah? So you believe in ghosts? I guess you do really remind me of a child." Aomine snickered.

Kagami pointed his knife at the other man, "..you reaaaaaally want me to stab this into your heart, huh?"

"..I suppose it isn't cupid's arrow...but it'll have to do. Why didn't you just tell me you wanted me to fall in _love_ with you?" There was a very obvious hint of endearment in his voice. Aomine licked his lips seductively.

"Aargh! Just...go away! I'm getting goosebumps again!"

"Haha, sorry, sorry. I didn't mean to tease, _Taiga_." Kagami's jaw dropped and he turned to stone. Seeing that his hand- holding a very sharp knife- might do the same, Aomine instinctively grabbed Kagami's wrist.

"Uh..maybe I should help with dinner. I'm not really looking forward to being pierced by anything that doesn't come from cupid."

Kagami recollected himself when he was reminded of the uncut vegetables on the counter. "Ugh. I almost threw up there." A moment later, his eyes widened again, "W-wait! YOU?! _Cook_?! And helping _me_?!" Kagami couldn't believe his ears. Aomine had never offered to help in any way when it comes to chores and housework. Here he was, being the _gentleman_ that he really wasn't.

Aomine shrugged, "I haven't cooked since the accident, but hey, how hard can it be? Let me help."

A heartwarming smile crept across Kagami's face and he reluctantly agreed, "Alright, I guess you can learn from the basics."

* * *

><p><em>Worst. Fucking. Idea. Ever.<em>

Kagami looked around his kitchen. He did not understand how cutting vegetables could turn to vegetable bullets that flew everywhere. How could stirring curry turn into a pool of something akin to a slime monster on his floor? How could washing dishes turn into broken glass and china? And worst of all, how was it that Aomine can pull off an angel's smile when he should instead be hanging his head in shame?

Kagami gripped Aomine's shoulder and spun him around, "Daiki."

"Hmmm?" Aomine's voice did not contain a single hint of guilt.

"You. Set the table." Kagami pointed towards the living room and shoved some plates into his hands.

_Sigh. This was a fucking disaster. Note to self: Aomine can't cook; Daiki can't do anything. _Kagami stared at the pot of curry, if it can even be considered curry. It looked like regular curry, it smelled like regular curry, but how did it taste? He dipped a ladle into the pot and sipped. He braced himself for the punch, the gut-wrenching agony from his body.

It never came.

"Hmm..I guess this isn't as bad as I thought..? Daiki might be happy that he made...something decent."

He served the curry for the both of them and proceeded to sit down.

"Itadakimasu."

Aomine stared with disbelief as Kagami ate his portion. Disregarding the portion size, Aomine still couldn't bring himself to tear away. Was this some kind of joke? He knew he cooked terribly, but it looked like Kagami was eating it like it was normal food. Aomine gulped, and, with trembling hands, put a spoonful in his mouth.

"Bleghhhh! This sucks. What the hell is this?! WHY ARE YOU EVEN EATING IT?!" Tears formed at the corner of his eyes as he voiced his complaint.

Kagami glanced up, unfazed, "It's food. Don't waste. It's not that bad."

Aomine's jaw dropped, "WHAT?! THIS IS NOT FOOD. IT'S PRACTICALLY POISON. IF I EAT THIS-"

He was cut off as a spoonful of curry was jammed into his mouth. Kagami had took it upon himself to shut the man up with a spoonful of food. _His own_ spoonful of food. "Shut up. Eat."

Aomine blushed as he chewed the food, "...I guess it isn't all that bad..." But he couldn't taste the curry anymore.


	12. Chapter 12

"You know..staring at me all day isn't going to make me any sexier. Start moving, Kagami." Aomine smirked.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm moving. Stop badgering me. I just wanted to make sure you're comfortable." Kagami continued to stare at Aomine, eyes filled with worry.

Aomine was annoyed by this point, "I _am_ comfortable. Now freaking _move_. And your _hands_. Use them too."

"Fine.." Kagami picked up his duffel and turned on his heels. As he walked out the door, he called, "And don't forget the food in the fridge! Call me if anything comes up! Call Kise or Momoi if you're bored!"

"Just _leave_ already!" Aomine scowled, and threw his shoes at the idiot.

Aomine watched as Kagami dodged the shoes and bolted down the hall.

_Finally. Some peace and quiet. One whole week all to myself without Kagami bothering me. What a relief._

* * *

><p>"Kagami-<em>san<em>, I'm not quite sure I understand what you mean when you say you're leaving the apartment." Aomine placed his spoon onto his plate as Kagami broke the news about training to him.

"Ah..I didn't mean that I was leaving permanently." Kagami scratched the back of his head. He didn't notice the other man drawing closer, "It's temporary. I'll be back-"

Aomine punched the redhead in his arm.

"Ow! What was that for?!" Pain surged through Kagami's arm. Even if this other man was a 'sick' person, he was able to throw quite a forceful punch. Guess all that time playing basketball before toughened him up a whole lot.

"It's _called_ a stupid trip."

"..huh. I guess it was." Kagami sheepishly grinned. It had just never occurred to him that any outing with Riko for an extended amount of time and laden with hellish training could be considered something as leisurely as a trip.

"Here I was thinking you were leaving for good. Choose your words better next time." Aomine's pursed his lips.

Kagami glanced at Aomine's face and noticed that it was different from usual. Recently, he had always been wearing that radiant smile of his, but he guessed that this time had quite an impact. He felt guilty that he caused the other man unnecessary worry.

"Ah...sorry. I'll be careful. I've already made extra food in the fridge, and if you're bored you can always call Kise or Momoi. They're always willing to spend time with you." Kagami decided that a friendly suggestion might lift Aomine's mood.

"Hnn." Aomine's face remained unchanged.

"..you could also call me if you get lonely.." Kagami muttered.

Hearing this, Aomine flared, "WHO THE HELL IS GOING TO GET LONELY WITHOUT YOU?! Ugh. Just go on your stupid trip. I'm tired so I'm going to sleep." He made for the bedroom and turned around to glance at Kagami. He was staring guiltily at his plate.

"Hey! Idiot! I'll..I'll call you if I get lonely."

Kagami whipped around and stared in shock as the other male blushed slightly and hurried into the bedroom. He couldn't help but smile at the sight.

* * *

><p>As soon as Kagami sped out of sight, Aomine collected his shoe and sprawled himself onto the couch. He turned on the television and surfed through the channels. Not finding anything remotely interesting, he turned it off again and pulled out his phone. He highlighted the contact that read "Kagami Taiga" and stared at it. The silence was deafening.<p>

_..one whole week..without that idiot.._

He slowly drifted off to sleep with that thought in mind.


	13. Chapter 13

Aomine waved as he greeted the pink-hair girl walking towards him, "Hey, Momoi-san." It has been two days since Kagami left for his trip and Aomine just couldn't stay at home and do nothing anymore. He had been thinking about his lost memories and decided that it would be better to simply ask someone about himself, rather than hurt his head to try to remember what he couldn't. He scrolled through his list of contacts and, deciding that Momoi was the best choice, sent her a text asking her to meet at Maji Burger.

"DAI-CHAN! I'm so glad to see you! It's been such a long time!" Momoi squealed as she wrapped her arms around her friend.

"U-uhm. You should..probably let go now.." Aomine mumbled as he noticed that people were staring with looks of hatred and jealousy. Momoi's bright and cheerful personality coupled with her..rather well endowed body parts caused her to become popular with the masses. What any guy wouldn't give to go on a date with her.

"Oh! Sorry Dai-chan! I got a little excited so I unconsciously hugged you." Momoi said as she backed away slightly. "I've been worried sick about you lately. You haven't shown up at practice or even school! How have you been?" Momoi sat down across from Aomine, eyes looking him over, not missing a single detail.

"Alright, I guess. I figured that it'd save me the trouble of explaining to everyone if I just took a break from all those. I also didn't want any pity from anyone," Aomine confessed as he averted his eyes. He stressed the last statement and Momoi seemed to have understood.

"Okay, Dai-chan." Momoi smiled,_ Dai-chan is still the same Dai-chan. _

"So did you call me out for something?" Momoi continued.

"I..I want you to tell me about myself. The real me." Aomine had never been one to request anything of Momoi, feeling it would be too much of a hassle to be indebted to her. Momoi looked into his eyes and felt sincerity behind them.

"Why do you ask?" Momoi felt that she already knew the reason, but decided to tease Aomine a bit. She would not get another chance.

"I, uh, I thought it'd help to regain my memories."

"But aren't you fine now?"

"Uh, I guess I am. But I really wanted to know if my feelings could change."

"...feelings?" Momoi stared at Aomine as if he was an alien. Was Aomine really talking about feelings?

"Yeah. Feelings. I wanted to know if I would feel the same way about everything." Aomine continued, no longer remembering that all of this could be teasing material, "You know, about my preferances and how I feel about people. Did I like things differently before the accident? Will I remember those feelings when you mention them? Will I feel the same about Kagami?"

He paused and glanced up at Momoi, waiting for a reply. He saw that her eyes were wide and her jaw was visibly agape. She lifted a finger slowly and pointed it at him. "Y-y-you..you..WHAT?! DAI-CHAN?!"

Aomine stared at Momoi as he tried to process what she was saying, "..huh? What about me? What did I-"

He froze as the realization at what came out of his mouth hit him. His face flushed red and he immediately looked away. "I meant _everybody_, not just Kagami, okay?! I didn't say anything about liking him!" He tried to cover his embarassment with a scowl.

It was too late. Momoi had already registered the subtle confession as an undeniable truth in her mind. "You...you like _Kagamin_?"

"Shut up. I don't." Aomine denied it as vehemontly as he possibly could.

"You're lying."

"Am not. You don't know me."

"Are too. I know you better than you know yourself."

"Am not. You're overthinking things."

"Are too. You're in denial."

"Tsk, think what you want." He decided that he was not going to win a battle of words with Momoi and simply gave up. "Just tell me about myself already."


	14. Chapter 14

Aomine listened as Momoi told him about herself. Everything from when he was a small child.

As soon as Momoi had realized it, Dai-chan had already been fanatical about basketball. He played from morning to dark, and, even then, was reluctant to leave the courts. He practiced everyday, hoping that he could someday be among the best. He went to Teiko Junior High and immediately tried out for the basketball team. He made the mark and quickly became their ace. It was also there that he met the other players that were considered monsters, the Generation of Miracles.

Life for Aomine had started to become downhill from there. Without any reason nor any warning, Aomine started to hate basketball. Each game they won gained caused a loss in that his passion. By the time high school came around, Aomine had practically given up on the sport. He still made the team in Touou, but he stopped going to practice and only participated in games half-heartedly.

Then Kagami came into the picture. Despite losing once to Aomine, he didn't give up. The redhead's passion for the sport as well as his faith in his teammates caused Aomine to ultimately lose. After that defeat, something in Aomine changed. He walked into practice with small cuts and bruises, telling Momoi that he simply 'hurt himself practicing' because he didn't want to lose to an idiot like Kagami. Hearing that, Momoi felt relieved. It was a little after that, however, that Kagami found Aomine on the streets near his apartment.

Momoi slurped on the last of her drink that she bought as she told her story. "So that's your life! Your heart probably went doki-doki for Kagamin when he beat you!" Momoi couldn't help herself from squealing at the thought.

"..I am _not_ in love with that idiot." Aomine scowled.

He took a bite of his burger as he thought about the details that Momoi relayed to her. It would make sense for him to- god forbid- feel slight affection towards Kagami after that, right? He was certain of one thing, however.

_My feelings won't change. Not now. Not when my memories come back. Not ever._

Aomine blushed when he felt that he had finally accepted that he did, in fact, like Kagami.

Momoi clutched her face with both hands as she also felt herself blush from her own thoughts, "Awww! What are you thinking about Dai-chan? You're red! I hope it isn't a plan to seduce Kagami into bed~"

"..no. Of course not. Anyway, thanks for telling me. I feel better now. I'm going to head home." Aomine decided that it was time to leave before Momoi actually dragged the truth out of him.

"No problem, Dai-chan! I'm glad that you seem happier." Momoi called as he got up to leave.

"Hnn." Aomine grunted in affirmation, "bye, Satsuki."

Momoi smiled when she noticed that he had left out the honorifics. He was living his life anew, even without reclaiming his memories. It didn't even matter that he didn't get his memories back anymore. He was happy.

_Good luck with Kagamin, Dai-chan._


	15. Chapter 15

"RIKO-ONEESAN! PLEASE SPARE US FROM THIS HELL!" The members of Seirin complained as they were being put through their second day of training.

"Shut up and get your asses in gear. The sooner you finish the sooner you get to have dinner." Riko watched them, unmoved by their pleas. "Oh, and you're all very lucky tonight. I cooked."

Groans erupted from the team.

"Seriously?! We're going to die!"

"Who let her cook?!"

"She's a demon!"

"Why can't our god be merciful?!"

Riko continued to watched them, an evil smile spreading across her face. "..Shall I double your training again for today? Hmmm?"

Upon hearing this, the team immediately scattered, not wishing to incur the demon queen's wrath. As Kagami turned to leave, however, Riko grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. "Kagami, I wasn't done with you." He froze when she laid her hand on his shoulder. He was trapped in her vice grip.

In her sweetest voice laden with poison, Riko told him, "You skipped out on and came late to _a lot_ of training this past month. You're going to pay for that..with your life."

Hearing that, Kagami lost all sense of pride and reason. He struggled to wrestle out of her grip, flailing his arms and trying to run, but to no avail. "W-what?! NOOO! Let me go! I want to live! Spare meee! Kiyoshi! Hyuuga! SOMEONE SAVE MEEE!"

All the other members, however, decided that obstructing divine judgement would be an extremely stupid idea. They averted their eyes, feeling sorry for the redhead, "Sorry man, you're on your own.."

"Kagami-_kun_, don't try to fight this. It won't end prettily. Now I want you to start running. 100 km by the end of this training. On top of all the things that everyone else has to do." Kagami's jaw dropped when he saw the evil glint in her eyes. He was going to die. "..do I hear a no? Hmmmm?" Riko's black aura was leaking out of her.

_I see it! I can see it! Her true colors! _Kagami freaked out as tears streamed down his face. He was too scared to even utter a response.

"..Good. Now be a dear and get going~" Riko sang as she let him go.

"...okay..." He mumbled as tears continued to roll down his face. He slumped and his arms hung as he walked away. _Stupid Aomine. It's all your fault._

* * *

><p>Aomine sneezed as he walked out of Maji Burger. He glanced up at the dark sky. Clouds had rolled in when he was talking to Momoi. Not even a single strand of light shone through. He cupped his hands around his mouth and huffed, letting his breath warm them.<p>

_It's gotten cold again_. He pulled his scarf up to cover his face and started the short walk home.

_What's going to happen now? I know I like Kagami, but I don't know if he feels the same way. I mean, he couldn't right? Heck, I don't even know if he can like women, let alone men. __All that goes on in his stupid head is basketball. _

He was suddenly shocked from his thoughts of Kagami as he bumped into another pedestrian.

"Ah, sorry." The other pedestrian continued walking, as if Aomine didn't even exist. He sighed and turned towards home.

As he turned however, he caught sight of himself reflected in the glass pane of a shoe store. The store was closed, but it was dim in the store, so he could only see a silhouette of himself. He stood still as his eyes scrutinized the figure in the glass. All of a sudden his eyes reached his face- or rather, what was left of his face. None of his facial features could be seen in the reflection. He bit his lip and turned to leave.

_I guess that's all I am, an empty shell of what I used to be. Who am I to be falling in love?_

As he thought this, a gentle flurry of snow had started to fall. He glanced up at the clouds. He sighed and a warm breath escaped his lungs, and slowly dissipated into the night sky. A smirk crept across his face, and he chuckled, yet there was no joy in his voice. He remembered the day that Kagami found him on the streets as he resumed his walk.

_Trying to bury me a second time, huh?_

* * *

><p>Kagami dragged his feet back to where the rest of Seirin was gathered for dinner.<p>

"I'm...back.." He was thoroughly exhausted. He had never been put through such hellish training. This was by far the worst that Riko had put him through.

"Ah. Welcome back. I was just thinking of you," Riko said as she put on another of her signature smiles, "We want some drinks from the vending machine."

Kagami stared at her for a long time, debating whether it would be wise to bolt out of there. Deciding that it would probably incur an even tougher training menu in the future, he sighed. "I'll go..the usual, right?"

"Yeah, thanks!" Riko cheered as she walked away.

_Life hates me, huh?_ Kagami thought as he stepped back into the cold air outside.

He glanced up and saw that it had started snowing, albeit lightly. He started walking as he pulled out his phone. The screen read 'one missed call'. He froze when he read the name.

_Aomine Daiki._

Suddenly, a snowflake fell on the phone screen. Kagami's eyes widened as he turned on his heels and bolted back into the inn where they were staying. One sweep of the room and he easily found Riko.

"Oh, you're back? Did you forget to bring money?" Riko eyed him suspiciously.

Kagami scratched the back of his head, "Uh, Riko? Can I ask for a favor?"


	16. Chapter 16

The sound of rusty chains made a noise as Aomine sat into the swing.

_Creak_.

He didn't know why he decided to do that. He passed by this playground when he was walking home, and out of the corner of his eyes, he saw the swing. He felt a sense of familiarity and so he decided to take a detour. The feeling of nostalgia overcame him as he eased into the seat. Something about it just felt..._right_.

He pulled out his phone and highlighted the name 'Kagami Taiga'. He stared for a long time, and finally, with a sigh, he pushed the green call button. The familiar dialing noise was heard as he brought the phone to his ear. Several more rings later, the automated 'The number you are attempting to call is unavailable' came up and he shoved the phone back into his pocket.

_..it's fine. I don't mind. This is for the best._

His eyes wandered. He noticed a jungle gym on his right; the paint was flaking and it revealed the rusty metal underneath. There was a fountain next to that. It had already stopped spouting anything, dried leaves and twigs had taken the place where water once was. To the left of that, and directly in front of his position on the swing, he noticed an empty basketball court surrounded by lattice fencing.

_Basketball. I used to love it, right? Did that feel the same as what I'm feeling now toward Kagami? _

Aomine pushed himself up from the swing and walked over to the court, trudging through the thin layer of snow already on the ground. The gate gave a loud creak as he pushed inward. Like the rest of the park, much of the court looked rundown from disuse. There were cracks on the floor where grass had grown and yellowed in the cold. Broken nets hung from the hoops, and even the poles holding the board and hoop up were starting to lean. He leaned back against the fence and his thoughts immediately assaulted him again.

_This place is..familiar. I've been here before. It's precious to me. I can feel it. _

He walked into the center of the court and stood, staring at a hoop and boring a hole into the board.

_I was probably here, practicing my shooting. _He made an air shot at the hoop, visualizing the trajectory of the ball as it traveled through the air, landing in the hoop with a swish. Yet, he felt nothing. There was no rush of adrenaline that he must have felt in a game. There was no sense of triumph as the ball went in. There were no memories that came rushing back. His body remembered the motion, but his mind did not.

He crouched on the spot and crossed his arms on his knees, resting his chin on them. He chuckled emotionlessly again as tears rolled down his face in two small trails.

_..I really..am an empty shell._

* * *

><p>Aomine unlocked the doors to the apartment and walked in. His whole body felt heavy as he kicked his shoes off. He dragged himself over to the couch, not bothering to turn any lights on. The thin layer of snow on him fell to the floor, leaving a trail of water and ice behind him.<p>

He plopped himself- snow, wet clothes, and all- onto the couch and laid down. He shivered as his eyes wandered, darting to and fro. The apples on the coffee table, the LED lights of the digital clock, the redness of the rosewood cabinets- none of them felt warm. He snapped his eyes shut and rolled, snuggling into the back of the couch.

He soon drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p><em>"Hah..hah..hah..." Aomine huffed as he ran through the snow.<em>

_Drip. _

_His blood left the snow dyed red._

_Drip._

_He felt he couldn't run any longer, and leaned on a wall._

_As soon as he turned around, he saw icy eyes glaring at him._

_There was a flash of blue as Aomine felt himself pierced by a cold piece of metal._

_Drip._

* * *

><p>Aomine awoke with a start. His hand reached to wipe his cold sweat away when he felt resistance. That was when he noticed that there was a blanket covering him. He turned and he saw that he was staring upwards at a tuft of red hair. Aomine stared blankly as he realized that he was looking straight at Kagami's peaceful face.<p>

Kagami was slouched on the couch, eyes closed and asleep. Aomine's head was resting on his lap, while Kagami's arm draped over the other man's chest. A sudden feeling of relief welled up in Aomine and he reached around Kagami's waist to pull him into a hug.

Startled from his rest, Kagami let out a mumble, "Hnnn. Let me sleep a little longer."

Aomine ignored this, tightening his embrace.

"Ow. Ow. I'm dying." Kagami chuckled as his senses started to return. He patted Aomine's head and also couldn't resist letting out a teasing remark.

"I guess you really were lonely, huh?"

Aomine made no attempt to move, but he mumbled into Kagami's shirt, "..yeah..I was..I really was.."

Only one thought occupied Aomine's mind.

_Kagami is warm_.


	17. Chapter 17

Kagami stood in front of the microwave as he reheated the dinner he prepared for Aomine a few days back. He was much too exhausted to even think, let alone cook. He thought about why he let Aomine hug him like that, trying to find any reason to explain the unusual behavior away. He felt that the only acceptable reason was that he was definitely too tired. He couldn't think straight and that was why he allowed himself to get carried away. It had to be. Otherwise that thing wouldn't have happened. It was too..intimate.

All of a sudden he was returned to reality by the beeping of the microwave, signaling that he ran out of time to think. He scratched the back of his head in annoyance.

_Aargh! Forget it. Don't think about it._

He took a deep breath and took the curry out from the microwave. He served it on two plates and walked out of the kitchen, plates in hand.

Walking into the living room, he saw that Aomine was sitting cross legged in front of the coffee table. His elbows were on the table and his hands propped his head up. He was lost in thought.

"Yo, Daiki, food's ready," he called to Aomine as he placed a plate in front of him.

Aomine glanced up and smiled, "Thanks, Kagami-san."

Hearing his name called in such a manner, Kagami eyed the other man suspiciously as he sat down. 'Kagami-san'? Without any snide remarks or a hint of ridicule? Something was definitely wrong here. He decided not to probe now, since he figured that he would be no help when his brain had practically shut down. He would wait until tomorrow.

They just ate their dinner in silence until Aomine suddenly started speaking, "Oh, Kagami-san, I forgot to ask. Why are you back home so early? I thought you had training."

Kagami glanced up at the other man, his face unreadable.

"No reason really, you called. Thought you were dying."

Aomine looked at Kagami. He looked like he was getting more tired by the minute, even forming sentences was an effort to him, "Told Riko. Then came back. She doubled my training. Doing it later."

"Oh, okay. I had thought it was odd. So you were worried about me, huh?"

"Hnnn," Kagami mumbled in agreement. "Yeah.."

Aomine couldn't help smiling at the red head's honesty when he was tired. But that smile quickly faded when his previous thoughts swam back into his consciousness.

Aomine looked away. "You shouldn't have wasted that much effort on me."

"..huh?"

Aomine gasped as he realized what he had just said. There's no turning back. Then, steeling himself, he continued, "I'm not worth the effort. It will all be wasted. I'm just an empty shell. I'm not the real Aomine anymore. Are these thoughts really the old Aomine's? Are these feelings even his? And what happens when he comes back? What happens when the memories return?"

He paused, waiting for a reply, but none came. "Will I disappear?" Aomine whispered and looked back across the table.

Kagami's arms were crossed on the table and his head was resting on them. He was asleep. Aomine smirked at himself. _I thought so. I'm better off gone._

He decided that the only thing left to do would be to clear the table. He picked up his own unfinished plate of curry and reached for the other one across the table. As he did so, however, he froze.

"..Daiki," Kagami mumbled in his sleep. Aomine remained still, unable to believe his ears.

"..Daiki.."

"Y-yeah?" He responded.

"..you're _you_.."

Aomine relaxed, putting his own plate down and easing back into his original seat.

"I like you, you know."

"..I know.."

"I'm a guy."

"..I know.."

"I'm not the old Aomine."

"..I don't care.."

"But-"

"I want _you_, dammit."

Kagami's words lingered in the air as Aomine stared blankly at the other man. Did he hear what he just thought he heard? Could he take it that it was okay for Aomine to stay as he had been? Could he take that as a confession from Kagami?

Aomine gulped. He placed both hands on the table as support and leaned over the table slowly. His heart started beating faster as he got closer to the redhead. His face was only a few inches away. Kagami's breathing was slow and light- peaceful even. A genuine smile crept across Aomine's face as he looked on.

_I love you, Kagami. I really do. _

He closed his eyes and pressed a soft kiss onto the sleeping man's cheeks.

_Sleep tight._

He blushed as he pulled back. He had really done it. Not wishing to think about it any longer, he picked up the plates on the table and walked into the kitchen, not daring to glance back for fear of not being able to hold back.


	18. Chapter 18

Kagami woke up with a start. He opened his eyes and squinted, adjusting them to the darkness. He noticed that he had fallen asleep on the table and that someone had draped a blanket over his shoulders. He heard the sound of running water and turned toward it. His hand immediately shot up to his neck.

"Ow!" he exclaimed as he rubbed the pain in his neck away.

_Damn. I shouldn't have fallen asleep like that. Stupid table. _He noticed that the table had been cleared and chuckled to himself, wondering if Aomine had broken more plates trying to clean up. Deciding that he would worry about it tomorrow, he lifted himself off the floor and walked toward the bathroom, stopping right outside the door. Judging by the sound, he figured that Aomine was probably showering. He leaned back against the wall and waited his turn.

* * *

><p>Aomine walked into the kitchen blushing. Shaking his head, he tried to concentrate on the task at hand. He dumped the plates into the sink and paused.<p>

_..what..do I do now?_ he asked himself. Kagami made it a point to not let him into the kitchen without supervision after the cooking incident. It had taken the redhead several hours to clean up the mess that he made; his wallet had also taken a hit, since he had to replace everything that Aomine broke. Well, Kagami had not been enforcing that rule, since he left for training practically right after the incident, but Aomine had followed through for the most part. He didn't cook for the two days that Kagami was away, and he opted to use paper plates instead of glass or china ones, since he wasn't supposed to do dishes either. He only went into the kitchen when he wanted his daily supply of soy milk from the fridge.

He sighed and weighed his options. If he did the dishes and broke something, Kagami would probably be mad. If he left the dishes overnight, Kagami would also be mad. Great, both options led to death. He stood for what seemed like an eternity, trying to decide which was the lesser of two evils. Suddenly, a smirk crept across his face. He pulled out his phone and called Kuroko.

After several rings, Kuroko picked up, "Hello? Aomine-kun?"

"A-ah. Hey, Kuroko-san."

"What's wrong? Kagami seemed really exhausted when he left training early and rushed home. Did something happen to him?"

"Oh. U-uhm, no. Nothing happened. He's fine. I'm actually calling about that." Aomine felt himself blushing again as he tried to find the right words, "I was wondering how you do dishes."

"Huh?" The voice on the other line was obviously confused.

"Sorry, I shoulda said that better. Kagami was tired and he fell asleep before he did the dishes. I don't want to wake him, and I'm not familiar with the kitchen and chores, so I was wondering if you could tell me how to do the dishes." He laughed nervously. Kuroko must think he's a weirdo.

"Oh." Kuroko had said as a wave of understanding crashed into him. "I guess I can tell you. In return, slap that idiot for me for ditching training camp."

"A-ah. Yeah. I'll do that. Thanks." Aomine grimaced as he thought about what Kuroko said. He didn't know the small boy was so vengeful. He made a mental note to keep out of his bad side.

After doing the dishes per Kuroko's instruction, and quite successfully at that, he thanked the boy again and hung up. He walked toward the bedroom and glanced at Kagami as he walked through the living room. He suddenly paused and turned on his heels, toward the sleeping redhead. He reached for the blanket on the couch and draped it over Kagami's shoulders. Kagami made a mumbling noise, but didn't wake up. Aomine chuckled as the thought that this giant was cute passed through his mind. He sat down next to the sleeping giant and his eyes looked the other man over.

Aomine hadn't noticed it before, but this man he was living with was attractive- extraordinarily so. Everything from his toned muscles to his handsome face was perfect.

_Wait. Perfect? ...maybe I really am blinded by love. What the hell. Gross._

His wandering eyes continued to look the other man over, and they lingered on his lips. Aomine pressed a hand up to his own and wondered what it would have felt like to lock them with the other man's. He found himself blushing again and cursed himself. He was definitely blushing way too many times that night for his liking.

_Calm down..I need a shower._

He left the sleeping redhead and headed into the bedroom for a change of clothes before walking into the bathroom. He stripped his clothes off and turned on the shower. A wave of relief came over him as he got under the spray and felt the warm water roll down his body. Willing himself to not think about Kagami, he concentrated on cleaning himself off.

He turned the shower off and reached for the towel as he stepped out of the stall. He closed his eyes as he rubbed his face and hair dry. When he opened his eyes, he realized he was standing in front of the mirror. He found that he was staring at a set of blue eyes which were staring right back at him. He stood still as he thought about all the things that happened that day. It had been a roller coaster of emotions for him, from loneliness to emptiness, to despair, then to relief and happiness.

Drip.

He was shocked out of his thoughts when he heard the noise. He was in the middle of drying off and a small puddle had formed under him. He looked back at the eyes in the mirror and smiled.

_I'm sorry, Aomine-kun. I'm going to stick around a little longer. _

He chuckled when he saw that the figure in the mirror was smiling back at him. He no longer thought those eyes were cold. They felt warm, as if giving him approval for his selfishness.

_What am I, an idiot? I'm talking to myself in the bathroom. _

He sneezed and rubbed his nose. Then he proceeded to finish drying himself off and threw on his clothes. With one more glance at the mirror, he opened the door.

* * *

><p>"Holy crap!" Aomine exclaimed as he saw the figure on the floor.<p>

Kagami was cross-legged on the floor. His back was against the wall and his arms hung limped from his sides. A towel and a change of clothes draped across one shoulder as he sat there, breathing softly. He was asleep.

_This stupid idiot_, Aomine thought as he nudged the other man with his foot.

"Hey. Hey, Kagami. Wake up."

"Hnnnn," groaned the other man as he was roused from his sleep. "You're done?"

"Yeah. You can go now."

Kagami yawned as he rose, tilting his head back slightly.

"Ow." Kagami's hands shot up again and he rubbed the back of his neck.

Aomine eyed the other man as Kagami walked past him and into the bathroom for his shower. Kagami closed the door behind him as he continued to massage his neck. He finished his shower quickly, but was relieved when the warm water hit his neck. It soothed the nagging pain somewhat. It had been an exhausting day for him, with all the training and traveling that he's done. He dried himself off and slowly put his clothes back on.

_Did Aomine look happier just now? _Kagami had thought lately that blue head was looking sadder and lonelier by the day. Maybe it was just his imagination?

He slung his towel back over his shoulder and opened the door with a yelp.

"-shit!" he exclaimed as he noticed that Aomine was standing right in front. "Don't do that. I'm gonna get a heart attack!"

Aomine stared straight back at the other man, "Yeah. Now you know how I felt when I saw you on the floor."

"Oh. Right." Kagami scratched his head, and shortly after, before dropping his hand, it instinctively lingered on his neck and he massaged the dull pain.

"Anyway. About that." Aomine pointed at Kagami's neck, "you can take the bed for today. I'll sleep on the futon."

"Haaah?" Kagami exclaimed as he processed what he just heard.

"I'm telling you to rest your stupid neck. You've been sleeping uncomfortably for awhile now. My turn." Aomine continued with a firmness in his voice.

"O-oh, no, no, no, no. You're the sick person here. I'm fine. See?" Kagami attempted to turn his head sideways and regretted it as he flinched from the sudden pain.

Aomine raised an eyebrow as the other man looked back at him. "..you were saying? Besides. I'm perfectly healthy. Losing memories doesn't make my body any weaker." As if to prove his point, Aomine started pushing Kagami toward the bedroom.

"W-wait!" Kagami said as he struggled, but the other man was right. His body didn't get any weaker, and when compared to Kagami's exhausted body that was put through hellish training today, it was stronger. Aomine was winning the battle, as they inched closer toward the bed. Kagami felt his knees hit the linen and he flopped face first into the bed. "Ow.."

Aomine turned to leave, but was stopped short as he felt a hand grab his wrist and pull him down into the bed. "-whoa!"

"You're sleeping here. I'm leaving." Kagami said as he tried to get up. But Aomine recovered from his shock and his hand grabbed the other man's wrist, pulling him back on top of him.

"You're not leaving." Aomine wrapped his hands around Kagami's back, hooked a leg around Kagami's leg, and rolled, reversing their positions. Aomine was now straddling Kagami's waist and the other man looked in shock- Aomine seemed quite skilled in taking a man down. Aomine sat still for a few seconds, and suddenly, plopped down into the bed next to Kagami, and turned on his side to face him. His head was on Kagami's arm and he draped an arm around the stunned redhead's waist.

"Forget it. We can sleep like this. Good night." Aomine said as he snuggled closer.

Kagami regained his senses when silence fell in the room. He felt that his exhaustion had taken over, and honestly, he would enjoy the more comfortable bed. His eyes darted to the other man in his arms and he immediately averted his gaze. His face turned red as he willed himself to relax.

_It wasn't my imagination. Definitely happier. _


	19. Chapter 19

Kagami was roused from his sleep when he felt arms tightening around his waist. He opened his eyes to find that he was in his own room. He was lying on his side and could feel a warm body on his back and a warm breath on his neck. He turned his head slightly and froze. He was a hair's breadth away from Aomine's sleeping face.

He tried to recall all the events that happened the night before. He remembered that he was at training camp and Riko was just being the demon queen that she was. He then got a text from Aomine and asked her for permission to go home. He got home and found Aomine half drenched, so he tried to wake the other man. He didn't stir however, and so Kagami just proceeded to strip Aomine and change him into something dry. He removed the jacket and scarf, but the rest seemed fine, so he just left the rest of his clothes on as he fetched a blanket and a towel. He dried Aomine's hair and threw the blanket on him. Then he mopped the water trail that Aomine had left behind and silently cursed the man.

_Damn. Making me do all this work when I just came back. Screw you._

He put the mop away and threw the wet clothes and towel into the basket. He walked back to the living room and plopped himself down on the floor against the couch. It felt uncomfortable, so he got up, lifted Aomine's head slowly, sat down, and let Aomine use his lap as a pillow.

_Much better._

Kagami relaxed into the couch as he stared at Aomine's face. Everything about that face radiated gloom and sadness. His brows were furrowed, his lips were turned into a very slight frown, and his eyes were slightly red.

_He had been crying, _Kagami thought as he brushed Aomine's face lightly with his fingers. _Cold, too_. Only then did Kagami notice that the other man had been shivering slightly, even with the blanket covering him. He lifted Aomine's head once again and scooched over a little more, essentially moving closer to the sleeping man. He then wrapped an arm around Aomine's chest. He felt that the other man stopped shivering and that he had snuggled a little closer. Kagami soon found himself asleep.

Then he remembered he was awakened again and he proceeded to make dinner. Then he fell asleep in the middle of eating and he could have sworn that Aomine was being unusually chatty last night, but he couldn't recall any of it. Next thing he knew he woke up again and was forced into bed with Aomine.

Kagami froze when the realization hit him.

_Shit._

Kagami pried Aomine's hands off of him and then bolted out the door. He sprinted to the living room, swearing that he made record speed for running in enclosed spaces. His eyes scanned the table as a sense of dread welled up in his gut. He ran to the kitchen and swung the door open.

_Empty._ Relieved, Kagami trudged back to the bedroom. _Good. He didn't break anything._

When Kagami returned, Aomine was sitting up in bed, legs crossed. His hands were rubbing at his eyes, unhappy that he was awakened in such a manner.

"Kagami, what the hell? Where were you running off to so quickly?" Aomine was obviously annoyed by his tone. He rested one elbow on his leg and propped his head up, still staring at Kagami. "Not used to sleeping with another guy?"

Kagami looked back at the other man and laughed nervously, "Haha..that wasn't it. I just thought that you might have broken my plates again. I was scared for my wallet."

Aomine glared at the redhead, but Kagami continued, "So..what did you do to my dishes? Did you throw them out?"

"I cleaned them," Aomine shot back.

"You..cleaned them.." Kagami repeated, not believing his ears.

"Yeah. _Cleaned_."

Kagami's eyes widened when he saw that Aomine looked like he was not kidding. Rather, he was looking rather smug that Kagami was so shocked.

"YOU _CLEANED_ MY DISHES?! WITHOUT BREAKING ANYTHING?!"

".._yeah_."

"Why?! I thought I told you not to do that! And how the hell did you even do that without breaking them?! You're practically an out of control bulldozer in the kitchen!"

"I _thought_ that you were tired and wanted to sleep, so I called Kuroko-san to tell me how to do them properly. Happy?" Aomine answered.

"Wow. Unbelievable. Wow," Kagami repeated to himself as he sat down on the bed- he was too shocked to stand.

Aomine stared at the other man's back as he sat there trying to accept that Aomine was capable of chores. It was kind of fun seeing this kind of Kagami. Aomine found himself smiling.

_I guess it's now or never._ Aomine scooched over from his spot and wrapped his arms around Kagami's chest. His legs wrapped around his waist and he breathed down the back of Kagami's neck as he whispered, "I'd do _anything_ to make you fall in love with me." Aomine then pulled the neck of Kagami's shirt down slightly and pressed a gentle kiss into Kagami's shoulder blade.

"W-w-what the hell?! Why did you k-k-kiss me?!" Kagami struggled to get up, but Aomine was still stronger and latched on, pinning him where he was.

"_Anything_." Aomine finished off as he licked the crook of Kagami's neck.

Kagami's hand shot up to cover his neck. "What's wrong with you this morning?!"

Aomine chuckled as he released Kagami and got out of bed. He grabbed a towel and simply said, "I'm saying I'm in love with you and that I'll make you fall in love with me. Whatever it takes." He reached the door, and glanced back. He licked his lips seductively, "Be ready."

He left the room with a stunned Kagami on the bed.


	20. Chapter 19 Omake

Aomine walked into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him as his towel fell from his shoulders. He stayed rooted to the spot, hands still on the doorknob. All of a sudden, he broke out into a cold sweat.

_What. The. Hell. Did I just do?! _He screamed at himself internally. _You fucking idiot! Now what the hell is he going to think?! You fucking licked him! What kind of stupid pervert does that?!_

He scratched his head furiously and kicked the door in annoyance. He yelped at the sudden pain and jumped around the bathroom, holding the pain in his toes. _Stupid door._

All of a sudden, his eyes found himself in the mirror. He stood in front of himself and furrowed his brows. He raised a finger and pointed at the reflection, as if to challenge him. _Hmph. __What are _you_ looking at?_ _Kagami is mine._

His hand raised again and he scratched the back of his head, chuckling to himself. _I'm talking to myself again. I really am turning into an idiot._ He turned and took his shower, letting the warm spray ease his mind.

After washing himself, he stepped out and dried himself off. He froze. He realized he had forgotten to bring a change of clothes.

_Shit. Walked out too fast. _He stood still for awhile, weighing his options. _Wonder if Kagami is still there. He should be gone now, right?_

He wrapped the towel around his lower half and walked toward the bedroom. He peeked around the door and saw that Kagami was still there, in his daze. _This idiot hasn't moved one inch from that spot. Really? Was it that shocking?_

Aomine leaned against the wall outside, once again deliberating his options. He sneezed and rubbed his nose. _Shit. It's now or never right? _

He turned back to the door and walked through, hoping that his voice didn't betray his nervousness.

"Huh? You're still here?"


	21. Chapter 20

"Huh? You're still here?" Aomine asked as he walked back into the room.

Kagami was still in the same spot that he had left him, still wearing a stunned expression. As soon as he heard Aomine's voice, Kagami's senses returned. He glanced upward and immediately looked away blushing. Aomine had walked back into the room with only a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was still damp and beads of water were rolling down his chiseled chest and abs. Aomine saw this and smirked.

"Oh? Were you waiting for me? Did you want to continue where we left off? Breakfast can wait after all, right?" Aomine asked as he walked closer, flashing Kagami a wide smile.

"I don't mind, but.." he sat himself down on the bed next to Kagami, and leaned in, whispering into the other man's ear, "..it's going to hurt."

Kagami was shocked from his thoughts and broke out in cold sweat as soon as he heard this. "W-what? Breakfast. Oh. Right. I-I'll get on that." Kagami shot up and immediately ran out of the room, leaving a chuckling Aomine on the bed. If he didn't break any records earlier, he was sure that he did so now.

Aomine propped himself off the bed and walked over to the closet. He pulled on a pair of jeans and was in the middle of putting on a black v-neck when he noticed something on the desk. It was a small white box embossed with gold letters on top.

_Oh, yeah. Kise's present. I forgot about that._

He sat down and reached for the box as he read the letters.

_Smokes and Mirrors- Aquamarine_

Aomine turned the box around in his hand and opened it.

* * *

><p>Kagami ran into the kitchen practically hyperventilating. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand.<p>

_What. The. Fuck?! _Kagami thought to himself. It was too close for comfort. Another second later, and Aomine might have done the unthinkable.

_He was into big busty babes. Since when did he like me?! Shit. I gotta tell Momoi about this. _

Kagami pulled out his phone and dialed the number.

Momoi picked up the phone and answered cheerfully, "Kagamin! What a great-"

"HELP! MOMOI YOU GOTTA SAVE ME! THERE'S A HUNGRY WOLF AT HOME!" Kagami interrupted Momoi before she could finish her pleasantries.

On the other line, a giggle could be heard. _So Dai-chan finally attacked. That was quick. It's only been a day since we talked. Kyaaa! Dai-chan you're really a hungry wolf! I'm rooting for you!_

"I'm sorry, Kagamin, I don't understand what you're talking about. Please take a deep breath and explain the situation to me."

Kagami took several deep breaths and felt himself calm down a little, before he remembered the feeling of Aomine's breath on his neck. "I CAN'T CALM DOWN! I'M ABOUT TO BE EATEN!"

Momoi was silent.

"Momoi..?" a puzzled Kagami asked.

A dialing noise can be heard on the line. Momoi was calling someone else. After a few more rings, a male's voice can be heard. "Hello?" It was Kuroko.

"Tetsu-chan! Hi! Kagamin is being an idiot and I can't deal with him right now. Please work your magic!" Momoi's voice was cheerful- probably because it's Kuroko she's talking to.

"What's up Kagami-kun?" Kuroko quipped.

"Wolf! Home! Save me!" Kagami started shouted incoherently.

"Kagami. Shut up." Kuroko's voice was firm. Kagami yelped and became silent. "Good. Now tell me. What's wrong?"

"A-ah...It's Daiki. He's turned into a wolf all of a sudden and I'm about to be eaten up!" Kagami replied.

There was a tone of annoyance in Kuroko's voice, "...in other words. Aomine fell in love with you and you're about to give your body up to him. Is that it?"

"Yeah!" Kagami answered quickly, "W-wait! No! I'm _not_ about to give my body up!"

"Hey Momoi-san, does Aomine-kun really like this idiot?" Kuroko asked. Unbeknownst to either of them, a faint devilish smile crept onto Kuroko's face.

"Yeah! He's head over heels! I can tell." The response was cheerful and quick. She also emphasized the 'head over heels' part.

_Who's she trying to upsell? _Kagami thought. _W-wait. Who's buying?!_

Kuroko's voice can be heard again, "Then, okay. Kagami-kun, I'm afraid you'll be our sacrificial lamb. Make me proud and satiate wolf-kun." Then a click noise can be heard. Kagami checked the callers on the line and realized Kuroko had hung up. _That bastard_.

"What Sacrificial lamb?! What does that even mean?!" Kagami raged over the phone.

"A-ah. I'm sure it means something along the lines of you not being saved. Dai-chan will have his way with you! I look forward to it!" Momoi squealed, "Oops. I gotta run now! Don't want be late for practice! Bye, Kagamin!"

Kagami was still processing everything as the click ending the call was heard. His inner rage was boiling.

_Sacrificial lamb?! Who's going to be sacrificed?!_ Kagami thought to himself. _Instead__ of that, I rather subdue the bastard. Alright, Daiki. You're on. You've got no chance with me as your opponent._

"Yo." Kagami turned white at the sound of that voice- that very recognizable, deep voice. The phone he was still holding clattered to the floor as he remained stoned to the spot.

"H-hey." Kagami mustered up the sweetest voice he can manage as he turned around, "breakfast, uh, will be ready soon. Just take a seat, D-Daiki."

Aomine eyed the other man, and raised an eyebrow. _Kagami, I know you're one to wear your emotions on your sleeves, but this..this is way too obvious._

* * *

><p>"Huh?" Aomine voiced aloud as he opened the box, "there's nothing in here."<p>

True enough, the small box in his hand contained nothing but a black foam where a ring had once been. _What the hell did Kise want to give me? A ring? I guess I'll just ask Kagami where it went later._

He was reeled from his thoughts when he heard shouting.

"-A HUNGRY WOLF AT HOME!" Aomine heard Kagami shout.

He smirked and walked to the kitchen. He stood at the door and saw that Kagami was on the phone, with his back turned away from the door. He leaned against the door frame and waited, looking as smug as he could.

After the call ended, it seemed like Kagami was still lost in his own thoughts. Aomine glanced at the clock. Kagami was going to be late for sure. Deciding that breakfast couldn't wait any longer, Aomine let out a casual greeting.

"Yo," he said as he flashed his bright smile.

Kagami turned around and greeted him sweetly, although mixed with quite a bit of hesitation and nervousness. Aomine smirked.

"Alright, Kagami. Please hurry. Wolf-kun is hungry~" he said sweetly before he walked off.

Kagami's jaw dropped.

_He heard that?!_


	22. Chapter 21

"Hey, why don't you just skip school for today?" Aomine asked as he bit into his sandwich.

Kagami glared at him, "what are you talking about? I'm not gonna skip school."

_Right, he's one of them, _Aomine thought. _I forgot that he's practically an angel when it comes to school. This isn't going to be easy. _

Aomine feigned innocence in his voice, "but I'll be lonely.." He frowned slightly, furrowed his brows, and stared downward intently at his plate, hoping that his eyes would at least let out some tears. They didn't.

"..uh-huh..." Kagami said, placing extra emphasis on the 'huh'.

Aomine saw that he wasn't believed for a second. "Tch. At least act like you care."

Kagami didn't even make an effort to respond. He simply continued staring at Aomine and eating his sandwich.

_Alright. Plan B._

Aomine got up on his knees to appear more imposing and slammed both his hands on the table. "NOW LISTEN HERE, KAGAMI! YOU'RE GONNA SKIP SCHOOL AND SPEND THE DAY WITH ME WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR-"

"Shut up. You're disturbing the neighbors." Kagami shot at him.

Aomine settled back into his seat and pouted. "It's not like they even expect you to be back from the training yet.." he mumbled under his breath, but loud enough for the other man to hear.

_Tch. So acting sweet doesn't work. Neither does going over the top. Maybe I have to try the middle ground? _Aomine took another bite of his sandwich. His teeth clamped down on it and he tore it with a jerk of his head. Kagami raised his brow quizzically. Aomine reminded him of a predator and the sandwich, his prey.

_Ugh_._ Stupid Kagami. How hard is it to get you to spend one freaking day with me? You're like a freaking stone wall when it comes to school. Who even wants to go and learn stuff? Sigh. Time to think of another-_

"-you listening?" Kagami's voice cut through his thoughts.

"Huh? What?" Aomine asked.

"I asked if you were listening." Kagami answered.

"Y-yeah. Of course I was." Aomine lied. _No way in hell is he gonna find out what I was thinking about._

"Then where do you wanna go?" Kagami continued chewing his sandwich nonchalantly.

Aomine furrowed his brows. "Huh?"

"I'm asking where you wanna go."

Understanding hit Aomine as his eyes widened. His hands slammed onto the table again and propped himself up. "YOU AGREED TO SKIP SCHOOL?!"

Kagami glared at the other man. Repeating himself multiple times this morning was not exactly something he was dying to do. "Yeah..I did. Weren't you listening?"

Aomine scratched his head and sank back into his seat again. "Y-yeah. I was just confirming. To make sure you weren't changing your mind."

"..even I wouldn't change my mind in the course of 10 seconds." Kagami sighed, "so where do you wanna go?" For some reason his patience and tolerance were really high this morning. He was surprised himself.

Aomine's eyes glinted. He wasn't going to pass this chance for a date up. He got up and ran into the bedroom, returning a moment later with a flyer in his hand. He held it up in front of Kagami. "Here!"

"..you want to go to..an amusement park?" Kagami sighed, aware of the implications. "Fine."


	23. Chapter 22

Kagami stared at himself in the mirror.

_Sigh. What am I doing? I know I didn't wanna be eaten, but am I really going to eat? Can I even bring myself to..do that? Do I even..like him-like Daiki? _Kagami blushed at the thought. _Why did I even agree? This is obviously a date right? Two people going to an amusement park? Are we gonna hold hands? Hug? K-kiss? _

"Are you ready yet?" Aomine's voice came from behind the door.

Kagami sighed again and splashed some cold water on his face. _I guess it's too late to cancel now. I'll just have fun today. As friends._

He opened the door and saw that Aomine was all dressed up and ready to head out already. He chuckled when he saw the sparkle in his eyes. Aomine was like a kid, going to the amusement park for the first time. Then again, for all intents and purposes, this _would_ be like the first time, since he had probably forgotten all the other times he was there.

"Alright, let's go."

Aomine was already racing down the hall as Kagami locked the door to his apartment. He was obviously excited. _Excited to be at the amusement park? Or is it because of me? _Kagami found himself wondering. He quickly waved those thoughts away and jogged after Aomine. "Hey! Wait up!"

Kagami reached the elevator and saw that Aomine was nowhere to be seen. The number above the elevator remained unchanged and Kagami realized what had happened.

_This stupid kid. Making me run this early in the morning._

Kagami bolted through the door leading to the stairwell and raced down the stairs, three, four steps at a time. He even found himself jumping down half the flight as he heard Aomine's steps echoing through the stairwell.

He ran out the front door to the apartment complex and searched left and right, seeing nobody in sight. It was a cold winter day and most people opted to stay indoors if they had nothing going on. Kagami glanced downward, found Aomine's tracks, and immediately raced after them. He finally caught up two blocks down the street, saved by a red light.

"What the hell man?!" Kagami shouted, breathing heavily.

Aomine's arm reached behind Kagami's neck and pulled him close. He ran his hand through Kagami's hair furiously. He was laughing like a maniac on the streets. "Gotta get some exercise done to get the blood pumping right? It's a cold day!"

Kagami glared at the other man, but his face softened as soon as he saw that laughing face. It was one that he hadn't seen before. The face of someone genuinely having fun. He noticed that the other man was sweating lightly. His eyes followed a bead of sweat as it rolled down his face, then his neck, and finally, his collar bone. Kagami blushed and averted his eyes. He remembered the feel of Aomine's tongue as the tip ran along his neck.

_Why the hell did I remember that? _Kagami cursed himself for being so worked up.

"W-whatever, you idiot. I do enough exercising normally. I'm still tired from training." Kagami pointed out that the light has changed and untangled himself from Aomine's arms. He crossed the street with a grinning Aomine trailing behind.

They reached the station and boarded the subway heading towards the amusement park. The subway was deathly empty, save for a few people on the far ends of each car.

Kagami plopped down in a seat right next to the door and Aomine claimed the one next to him. Kagami glanced at Aomine but he seemed deep in his thoughts. Excitement was still leaking out of him. His hand was clutching the side of his seat and it seemed like he was fighting to keep himself seated.

_Probably thinking about the rides. _

Suddenly Kagami's hands brushed against Aomine's and he flinched back. _Shit. Did Daiki notice? _He looked over at the other man again, but he was still in his own bubble of excitement. Kagami sighed. _I gotta relax._

When they reached their stop, Aomine sprang out of his seat and grabbed Kagami by the wrist. He dragged the redhead as he practically bolted up the stairs leading into the cold winter air.

Kagami stared at the point of contact between them as they ran. He remembered the feeling of Aomine's rough hands around his chest and blushed. He was glad when Aomine released him when they stepped outside. The wind buffeted his face and he felt his blush going away. Another thing to be glad for.

They walked the short distance toward the amusement park, or at least what Aomine considered a walk in his excited state, and paid the entrance fee as they walked through the gates.


	24. Chapter 23

"Whoa!" Aomine exclaimed as they walked into the park. His eyes scanned the landscape, taking everything in. The rides, the colors, the lights, everything seemed so new to him. His eyes twinkled as he pointed to the roller coaster in the distance. "There! Let's go!" he shouted to Kagami.

"Daiki, wait up! You're too excited!" Kagami shouted as Aomine disappeared around a stall. The bluehead was in higher spirits than usual. Being at an amusement park for the first time with Kagami made him extremely happy. He thought about all the memories they could make together and just couldn't relax.

Kagami looked around as he trailed after the other man. The park was practically empty. It was probably because a light snow has started falling and the usual customers were still in school. He did skip after all.

Aomine suddenly appeared from around the corner again and ran over to Kagami. "You're so slow! Hurry up, Kagami!" he shouted as he reached out for the redhead's hands. Kagami's hands, however, instinctively flinched when he realized that Aomine was going to grab it. Kagami noticed that Aomine's face visibly dropped as the outreached hand returned to his side.

"A-ah." He paused before passing it off with an excuse, "I'd rather not be dragged around by you again. It was tiring work running everywhere."

"Y-yeah. Let's go." Aomine agreed.

Kagami noticed that Aomine had suddenly lost the excitement in his voice. His steps have also slowed considerably from before.

_Shit. _Kagami scratched his head furiously. _Just one day then. No one else is here anyway. _

Kagami grabbed Aomine's hand and the other man turned on his heels to stare at Kagami in shock. Kagami flashed a smile and started running, dragging Aomine with him.

"Whoa! Wait!" Aomine shouted as he tried to regain his balance. Kagami caught him off guard and didn't exactly run at a leisurely pace.

"You said let's go, right?" Kagami asked as he let out a laugh, "hahaha, now you get to see what it's like to be dragged around for once. Suffer my pain!" They continued running as the snow flew up behind them.

It wasn't until they reached the roller coaster that Kagami finally stopped. "Hah...hah...hah...man, running like that on sore muscles...hurts like hell." Kagami was out of breath, but Aomine was breathing just as heavily.

"It's...hah...it's all your stupid fault." Aomine gave Kagami a light punch. "But damn...hahaha...I haven't run like that in awhile, huh?"

"Yeah...guess not. Come on, let's go." Kagami pulled Aomine up to the roller coaster.

"Hi, we'd like to ride the roller coaster please," he said to the woman there. She glanced downward and Kagami followed her gaze. The two guys were still holding hands. He flushed red and dropped Aomine's hand, laughing nervously. The woman continued to stare at them, but let them on nonetheless.

"Please keep your hands and legs inside the car at all times," she said monotonously as the two got into a car.

A sense of dread spread through Kagami as the restraint clamped down on them. _Shit. I forgot I hated heights._

"Uh...Daiki?" He said to the other man, "I'm starting to think this is a really bad idea."

"Huh? What was that?" Aomine asked. Kagami glanced over and saw that he was in his own world again. His eyes were twinkling even brighter than before. _Shit. Too late to back out._

Kagami sighed and braced himself for the inevitable, "...nevermind..."

* * *

><p>Kagami felt his stomach lurch as he sat on the bench, waiting for Aomine to return with some water. The table and bench escaped the snow, thanks to the giant umbrella that stretched above it.<p>

_Damn. This is all Daiki's fault. _

After the roller coaster, Aomine had dragged Kagami along to one thrill ride after another. They had gone on at least ten different rides, from the berserker to the windseeker. Kagami felt his stomach lurch again as he remembered the 300 feet drop tower. He laid his face down on the table, letting the cold surface spread through his skin.

_That feels nice._ Calming down a little from the excitement, or in his case, the anxiety and fear, he thought about the day. It had been a fun day, but he found himself spacing out very often. Despite not wanting to think about it, he found his thoughts returning to the question of him and Aomine.

_What the hell am I supposed to do about him? He confessed to me, so should I give him a proper rejection? Or..do I want to accept it? Do I even like him? But we're both guys, right? _These were just several of the countless questions he asked himself that day. He thought about their relationship and the memories they shared. They used to be rivals, but somehow ended up living together, and being _friends-_very close friends at that. He found himself remembering the feel of Aomine's hands, the feel of his breath, and the feel of his skin.

Today he had been overly conscious of every point of contact, flinching each time. He found that he was afraid of it- afraid that everytime they touch he'd crave even more. But if there's one thing Kagami realized, it's that he liked it. It was almost like Aomine was a drug.

_Shit. _Kagami blushed. _I do like him. I'm addicted._


	25. Chapter 24

Aomine pressed a can of red bean soup to Kagami's face, shocking him from his thoughts.

"Here you go," Aomine grinned, "drink up. It's warm. It'll help your nausea." He opened the can and handed it to Kagami, who simply held it in his hand. He stared at the drink for a while before taking a big gulp. It was obvious what was on his mind.

Aomine's grin softened into a gentle smile and he placed a hand on Kagami's shoulder. He pointed toward the distance. "You wanna go on that next?"

Kagami's eyes glanced up at the other man and processed what he had said. He followed his finger and saw that he was pointing toward the ferris wheel. Kagami remained in a daze. People confess to their lovers all the time on ferris wheels. Was Aomine going to do the same?

Seeing the hesitation in Kagami's eyes, Aomine grabbed his hand and dragged the other man up. "Come on, let's go. It'll be fine."

As soon as Kagami started walking by himself, Aomine let his hand go. "The snow has really started falling, hasn't it?" he asked as they trudged slowly through the snow, walking side by side.

"Yeah. It really has." Kagami replied. He was relieved that Aomine had calmed down somewhat since they first stepped into the park. He definitely couldn't take another thrill ride. This gentle side to Aomine was also refreshing. It's not very often that that's the case. Sure, this new Aomine was comparably nicer than the old one, but beneath that smile lies a very sadistic and childish personality.

_I guess people never change._ Kagami chuckled at this realization.

Aomine couldn't help chuckling along with him, "what are you laughing about?"

"A-ah. Nothing much." Kagami replied, "but you know what? I found you on the streets on a day like this."

"Oh. Yeah." Aomine let out a puff of smoke from his lungs and watched it dissipate into the air. "I guess we've really come a long way."

"Hnn," Kagami grunted in agreement as they reached the ferris wheel. "Looks like we're here."

"Please be careful as you step inside," the attendant cheerfully warned.

Kagami took a seat and Aomine took the seat opposite of him, which earned a quizzical look from the redhead. As the ride started, however, Kagami found himself getting lost in the snowy landscape outside the car.

"Wow.." Aomine whispered as he held his breath, "I'm pretty sure this is the first time I'm seeing this. Even the old me would remember if he did."

Kagami chuckled as he glanced over at Aomine. He was still acting as childish as he was before. The only thing difference was that his tone became much gentler. The bluehead turned and caught their gazes met.

Aomine smiled again and Kagami felt himself blushing slightly. _How can anyone's smile be so freaking bright?_

Aomine patted the spot next to him lightly and it took a moment before Kagami processed what he had really meant. _Shit. _He got up and plopped himself down next to Aomine, shoulders tense and hands stiff on his knees. Aomine's arm leaned against the window and his head was propped on it. With his other arm, he reached around Kagami's waist and, with a powerful tug, he dragged Kagami closer so that their legs were pressing against each other. The arm left his waist and was brought up to behind Kagami's neck. A hand grabbed the side of Kagami's head and eased it into the crook of Aomine's neck.

"Just relax, idiot. I won't do anything." Aomine whispered as he turned his head toward the window. "Just go to sleep. You're tired, right?"

Kagami moved his head in surprise, but Aomine's hand pushed it back down and started stroking his hair. A smile crept across Kagami's face. The tension in his shoulders, the stiffness in his arm, the nagging pain in his head, they all disappeared in that moment. Kagami's arms went around Aomine's waist and he snuggled himself closer. Soon, he was asleep and breathing slowly and lightly.

When the ride was over, the attendant opened the door and looked inside. She gave a small gasp and blushed, but Aomine motioned for her to let them go another round. She nodded and closed the door, starting the ferris wheel up again.


	26. Chapter 25

"-Ow!" Aomine exclaimed as Kagami bit down on his shoulder.

"Mmmm...hamburger..." he mumbled in his sleep.

Aomine sighed and glowered at the other man. This ride on the ferris wheel had been painful. There were several bite marks on his shoulder and neck, and he was feeling stiff and sore from being in the same position for much too long. So much for trying to be nice and caring. He reached out a hand a shook the sleeping giant.

"Kagami...Kagami...wake up."

Kagami let out a yawn as a hand went up and rubbed his eyes. His vision cleared and he found that he was staring at Aomine's neck. His eyes opened wide in shock and he shifted his weight from Aomine, moving several inches away. He scratched his head and let out a sheepish grin.

"Haha..sorry. I feel asleep."

Freed from his job as a body pillow, Aomine stretched his arms and legs. "Hnn. That feels nice. And don't worry about it. Ride's about to be over, time to go home. You can sleep all you want there."

As if right on cue, the car stopped and the door was opened. Aomine got up and pulled Kagami along with him onto the platform.

"Ah. Sorry about that. Thanks." Aomine said as he bowed slightly to the female attendant. Kagami noticed that her face was slightly pink from embarassment as he trailed behind.

"Uh. Daiki?" Kagami asked.

"Yeah?"

"How long was I asleep?"

Aomine seemed to have thought for a few seconds, "four rides? Five? I lost count."

_Shit._ _She probably thought we were lovers. _Kagami found himself questioning that possibility. Did they really seem like lovers? They were practically all over each other on the ride, but in his defence, he was asleep. Then again, they also held hands-

Kagami glanced downward and saw that Aomine was still holding onto his hand. He tried to withdraw his hand, but Aomine grabbed it again before he could escape.

"You owe me." Aomine pouted, "for falling asleep."

Kagami glanced left and right nervously, but it was empty and devoid of life as far as the eye can see. The snow had come down a little harder and the temperature has dropped several degrees. A storm was picking up, and anyone on the streets would probably have gone indoors already. Aomine wasn't bothered by it though. The less people there were on the streets to make Kagami feel embarassed, the longer they got to hold hands. He put his fingers between Kagami's and laced their hands together, earning a big sigh from the redhead. He had given up on resisting.

Aomine grinned as they headed for the station.

* * *

><p>"Hm? What's up?" Kagami asked when Aomine stopped on their short walk home. The expression on Aomine's face was no longer one of happiness and glee, but rather one that seemed lonely. Kagami followed his gaze and saw that they were standing in front of a park. It seemed like an ordinary park, and it was a little rundown and deserted, but if the tighter grip on his hand was any indication, it seemed like it meant something for Aomine.<p>

"Wanna take a detour?" Kagami asked as he started walking into the park. He was, however, pulled back by Aomine, "no. It's okay."

Kagami looked back at the other man, a little surprised at the response, and saw that tears were rolling down his face. Without thinking, he pulled Aomine into a hug and ran his hand slowly through the blue hair. "Idiot. Stop crying already. We'll just come some other time. It's not going anywhere."

"Yeah." Aomine replied as he released himself from the hug. A cheerful smile returned to his face as he wiped his tears away. "Hey. Can I have a piggyback ride?"

Kagami stared at Aomine with a deadpanned expression. "Are you.._seriously _asking me to give _you_ a piggyback ride? Out here? In public?"

Aomine nodded, as if a grown man asking for a piggyback ride in public was the most normal thing in the world. Kagami scratched his head and sighed, before turning around crouching down.

"Let's get this over with then.."

Aomine let out a big grin and clambered onto Kagami's back, wrapping his arms tightly around his neck.

"Oi! That's too tight!" Kagami shouted as he felt his air supply being cut off. Aomine loosened his grip slightly and let out a laugh as Kagami got up and started walking.

"Sorry, sorry. Couldn't help trying to strangle your annoying ass."

"You're heavy," Kagami retorted.

"It means I'm brought up well."

Kagami felt himself turning a little pink as the heat from Aomine warmed his back. Aomine noticed this and a sly grin crept across his face. His fingers reached for the neck of Kagami's shirt and lifted it slightly.

"Whoa. This is a nice view up here." Aomine said as he marveled at Kagami's chest.

"W-what the hell are you doing, you freaking idiot?!" Kagami's hands were holding onto Aomine's thighs, so he angled his head and made a biting motion at Aomine's fingers, but the fingers left his shirt alone in time to avoid the bite.

"Hahaha, nothing. Nothing at all," Aomine said sweetly, "don't mind me. But hey, don't you think we kinda look like a couple?"

"Shut up," Kagami retorted.

Aomine was unfazed. "It's just like in the movies. I was wearing high heels for our date at the amusement park, but little ol' me got a little careless and stepped onto one of those manholes. Then my heels snapped and voila, you being the great boyfriend you are, decided to carry me home on your back!"

Kagami felt his face turning darker by several more shades of red, "shut up or you're gonna walk by yourself."

Aomine's mischief, however, ignored the threat. He breathed down Kagami's neck and nipped his ears. "But you know what couples do at home?" he whispered into the other man's ear, "really, really, hot sex. I can just imagine it when you- whoa!"

Aomine was interruped as he felt himself tossed into a giant pile of snow. Despite his shock at the sudden temperature drop, he let out a loud laughter as Kagami continued walking. He fought his way out of the snow pile and ran back up to Kagami, clambering onto his back again.

"Sorry, sorry! I'll behave from now on!"

Kagami's laughter also rang as he fought to get Aomine off his back. "Stop! You're covered in freaking snow! It's freezing!"

Aomine didn't relent, however, and held on tight. "Whose stupid fault was it that I'm covered in snow?"

"Yours." Kagami retorted, but he had stopped struggling and started walking.

"Right, right. I apologize. But seriously, hurry home!" Aomine urged on, "your girlfriend is freezing to death!" Aomine tried to shake the snow off of himself, moving his body side to side and shaking his head furiously. Snow was flying everywhere and Kagami was struggling to walk properly.

"Then just freeze," Kagami said, chuckling, "and stop shaking! You're gonna fall!"


	27. Chapter 26

"Cut it out!" Kagami shouted, but still laughing, as he fumbled with the lock to his apartment. Trying to open a door with an 85 kg person on your back and copping a feel of your abs and chest wasn't exactly an easy task. The door finally gave with a click and Kagami walked in quickly, hoping that none of his neighbors heard the commotion, or worse, saw the two of them.

Inside, Kagami kicked off his shoes, but Aomine made no attempt to do so; instead, he stretched his legs out in front of Kagami and said, "shoes!" Kagami grunted, but pulled them off the other man anyway.

"Now take me to bed," Aomine whispered in the redhead's ear, trying to sound as seductive as he could while stifling a laugh. Kagami walked further inside, but stopped in front of the couch in the living room as he dumped Aomine onto it. He sprawled out right next to him in exhaustion. Aomine helped himself to Kagami's lap, arching his back across his thighs.

"Like hell I'm letting you in there when you're soaking wet with snow," Kagami said as he tried to catch his breath.

"Oh? So if I'm dry..." Aomine wrapped his arms around Kagami's neck as he lifted himself up, "you'll take me to bed?" His voice was filled with mischief. He pressed his lips onto Kagami's neck and could feel the other man tense up, but no motion was made to stop Aomine. Kagami's breath quivered slightly as Aomine sucked on the patch of skin. He could feel that Kagami swallowed hard.

Aomine pulled back, admiring the hickey he made, and smiled to himself. That smooth skin was finally marked, and by him no less. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Kagami's gaze. The redhead was obviously nervous, but his eyes didn't shift away.

"You know what comes at the end of a date, right, Kagami?" Aomine whispered as he locked his eyes with the other man. Kagami made no attempt to answer, but his eyes showed that he understood. Taking the silence as consent, Aomine parted his lips slightly and leaned in closer.

"-Achoo!" Aomine let out a sneeze before their lips met, right into the other man's chest.

"Ugh. Gross." Kagami said as he snapped out of his trance.

Aomine sniffed and grabbed Kagami's neck again, "wait! Wait! Again! I want a do-over!" He shouted as he tried to lean in for a kiss again.

"What do-over? Who was going to let you do anything in the first place?!" Kagami smirked as he let out a chuckle and held Aomine's face away with his hand. "Go take a freaking shower before you catch a cold, idiot!"

Aomine struggled again, but seeing that he wasn't going to get his way, got up and walked into the bedroom. He emerged a moment later and pouted rather exaggeratedly at Kagami before heading into the bathroom. In a moment, the sound of running water floated through the apartment.

Kagami got up and, deciding that he needed a change of clothes, walked into his room. He felt his exhaustion come back to him as he changed into something more comfortable and dry. His limbs were stiff and sore and he sat himself down on the bed as he massaged them. Exhaustion finally caught up to him and he felt himself drift off to sleep.

Aomine walked into the room after his shower and saw that Kagami was asleep on the bed. He was sitting up against the wall, and his legs were stretched out and open in front of him. Aomine sat cross-legged, with hands on his ankles, between Kagami's legs and leaned back onto his chest.

"-oof!" Kagami was awakened by the sudden weight on his chest. He opened his eyes to see that Aomine was the culprit.

_Of course. _

Aomine was being unusually quiet, however, and a smile crept across Kagami's face when he noticed that the other man was still pouting slightly. Kagami wrapped his arms around Aomine's waist and shifted his weight onto him.

"You're heavy." Aomine said as he felt the other man's arms around him.

Kagami grunted in acknowledgement as he relaxed. Aomine's hair was damp and there was a hint of pine in them. Must be the shampoo. Aomine was wearing a very loose shirt and Kagami gulped as he noticed drops of water roll down his neck, over his collar bones, and down into the darkness of his chest. Kagami also noticed bite marks all over Aomine's neck and shoulders. His bite marks.

Aomine blushed when he felt that Kagami's heartbeat had quickened. His throat went dry as he thought about what could come next. In a wobbly voice, he said, "hey..can we..continue from where we left off?"

Aomine braced himself for rejection, for any indication that Kagami might not want to, but there was none. He turned his head slightly and saw that Kagami was also flushed. Kagami's head turned away and Aomine's heart skipped a beat. Aomine used the sheets as leverage and dragged himself around, now facing Kagami. His hands shot up to the other man's face and turned his head so that their gazes met. His eyes closed as he leaned in and pressed a kiss onto Kagami's lips.

He felt Kagami's hands tense on his back, but quickly relax again as his lips and teeth parted slightly. Aomine's tongue snaked into Kagami's mouth and he leaned in closer, deeping the kiss. Kagami made no attempt to resist, and if the hands gripping Aomine's back were any indication, he was just as into the kiss as Aomine was. Aomine's tongue flicked over Kagami's and a low moan escaped from the redhead's throat. Aomine's heart skipped another beat and his hands left Kagami's face to explore his body. They trailed over his neck, then down to his chest, over his nipples- which earned another moan. They continued down his abs, then over his hips, and thighs. Then Aomine's fingers found the hem of Kagami's shirt, and he slid his hands under it, brushing the soft skin below.

Kagami gasped as his hands shot down and grabbed Aomine's wrist, stopping him from exploring any further. His lips pulled back from Aomine, leaving the other man glowering at him with his tongue slightly hanging out of his mouth. "W-wait! We-we can't," Kagami managed to say while catching his breath, "I, uh, I need a shower."

Without waiting for a reply, and without looking into the other man's eyes, Kagami climbed off of the bed and grabbed a change of clothes and a towel. As he headed toward the door, his legs buckled, but he managed to catch himself in time by slamming a hand onto the desk, knocking several pens over. He stood up again, and laughed nervously, before bolting into the bathroom and slamming the door behind him.

Aomine dragged himself out of bed as he made for the pens that were scattered all over the floor. His expression softened into a smile as he thought about the kiss. He was sure that Kagami needed a little more time to adjust and get used to the idea of liking another man. But Kagami liked him. He was sure of it.

_After all, we have as much time as we need._

Distracted by his thoughts, he didn't notice the edge of the desk as he got up from the floor.

"-ow!" he exclaimed as he dropped the pens he gathered. They fell to the ground with a loud clatter, with several rolling away from him. He sighed and got down on all fours as he palmed the darkness under the bed. His fingers grazed a small metal object. Puzzled, he grabbed it and pulled his hands back. It was a ring, metal and set with a dark blue aquamarine.

He stared at it as he turned it around several times in his fingers. Countless images came rushing back as he felt that his head was about to be split open. Sweat gathered at his pores and his breath quickened.

There was a flash of bright lights as the crowd roared with cheers and happiness. There were tears that came rolling down his face as he cried. There was a short man who extended his hands out to him. There were screams and bodies on the ground, blood pooling beneath them.

These thoughts came one after another and left just as quickly. He dropped to the floor and gasped for air. And then, he blacked out.

* * *

><p>Kagami stood in front of the sink after drying off and stared at himself in front of the mirror. What the hell was he doing, running away like that? He already knew that he liked Aomine, but he also thought that he couldn't go any further, at least for the moment. He was lost in the kiss, and was sure that he would continue to be lost, if not for the fact that Aomine's skin touched his own. He sighed and glanced downward.<p>

_I'm a man. Can I go through with this? _He thought as he placed a hand on his chest. His eyes looked his body over and he gasped when he saw what was on his neck. He gulped. The hickey burned into his skin as he stared at it.

_But Aomine likes you and he's waiting, Kagami. Man up. At least...at least tell him how you feel. _

Kagami steeled himself and splashed cold water on his face. He got dressed and walked out of the bathroom.

"Daiki," he called as he rounded the bedroom door.


	28. Chapter 27

"Sir," a female nurse said to Kagami, smiling, "it looks like the blizzard picked up and we'll be snowed in. You're welcome to stay the night in Mr. Aomine's room. Our cafetaria will remain open if you want to eat a little while waiting. Our staff will continue to monitor his condition and we'll be ready to act if any abnormalities arise. Please rest assured." She handed a folded up blanket to Kagami. He attempted a smile, but it was impossible to smile while Aomine was still unconscious.

"Thanks," he managed to utter. The nurse smiled reassuringly again and walked out of the room, closing the door behind her with a click.

Kagami's phone buzzed, but he made no attempt to answer it. It continued ringing, two, three, four times, before finally stopping. The screen flashed with a "seven missed calls" message before dimming and then turning black. Before even a minute had passed, the phone buzzed again. This time Kagami picked it up with heavy arms and pressed the green button before bringing it up to his ear.

"..hello?" he whispered.

"K-Kagamin!" Momoi's voice sounded from the other end. "Why didn't you pick up? What happened? Are you okay? Is Dai-chan okay?" She checked her phone after a shower and saw that Kagami had sent her a text explaining what had happened. The words "Aomine fainted" did nothing to still her thumping heart, however, and she had tried calling him many times.

Kagami was silent as he pondered what it was that Momoi asked him.

"..Kagamin?" Momoi tried again.

"..yeah. He's fine. Doctor says he's stable. He's just not waking up," Kagami whispered.

"How about you? Are you fine?" Momoi asked.

There was another pause. He blinked away the tears that started rolling down his face and took a deep breath, "yeah, Momoi. I'm fine. I'm snowed in..so I'm staying the night."

"Then is there anything I can bring you tomorrow?" Momoi was concerned. She didn't believe him for a moment. If there was one thing she knew about Aomine, it was that he didn't drag his feet. He would have already confessed, and judging by Kagami's quivering voice, he liked Aomine just as much.

"No, it's okay. I'll go back home tomorrow to pick up what I need," Kagami mumbled.

"Okay. Then I'll take over watching him tomorrow when you head home. See you then?" Momoi voice was gentle.

"Yeah.." Kagami hung up and his hand dropped down softly onto the cushioned seat, phone and all.

_Why now? He was still..healthy today. We went to the amusement park. We passed by the park. We..kissed. So why? _

Kagami pushed himself out of his seat and walked over to the bed. Aomine was still lying down with a respirator mask on his face. His sleeping face was peaceful, and Kagami remembered this morning, when he woke up in Aomine's arms.

_Just one day. He made me fall in love in one day. _Kagami cracked a small and sad smile. He pulled up a chair and sat himself down on it. His hand held Aomine's and he laid his face down on the bed.

_Please wake up soon. I have a lot to tell you. A lot._

And he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

><p>Kagami opened his eyes and found that a set of blue eyes were staring at him. He bolted upright as soon as he realized that Aomine was awake.<p>

"D-daiki?" He whispered, but his eyes were met with confusion.

"..bakagami? Where..where am I?" Aomine said.

Kagami's throat went dry. He understood everything at once. His hands unclasped the other man's and returned to his sides.

"A-aomine. You're at the hospital. You fainted and I was the one that found you and brought you here." Kagami steeled himself and hoped that his voice was not quivering, "wait here. I'll go get the doctor."

He stood up and turned around before walking briskly out of the door. Aomine continued to stare after Kagami and he held his hands up.

_Warm, _he thought to himself.

* * *

><p>Outside, tears started streaming down Kagami's face again.<p>

_Bakagami_.

He clenched his fist and bit his lip. A metallic taste attacked his taste buds.

_I didn't even get to tell you that I love you._


	29. Chapter 28

Kagami waited outside as a doctor and nurse did a check up on Aomine. He sat down on a bench by the vending machine and leaned back on the wall. The tears had stopped coming..there was nothing he could change by crying about it. He knew that at some point Aomine would regain his memories; it just didn't occur to him that Aomine would forget him at the same time. But it happened-and it happened a little too soon. Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be. This relationship between the two of them might not have worked out the way he had hoped. Heck, he doubted that the current Aomine wanted _any_ relationship with him other than a hostile rivalry.

_Thunk_. Kagami turned his head and saw a middle aged woman taking a can of red bean soup out of the vending machine. The woman looked over at him and smiled gently, which prompted a forced smile from Kagami in return. She walked over and pushed the drink into his hand, then sat down next to him.

"You look like you needed it more than I do," the woman started, keeping her eyes in front of her, and off of him.

Kagami rolled the drink around in his hands, letting its warmth flow through him. He stared at the drink and felt his heart clenching again as tears welled up inside him. He opened the can and lifted it to his mouth, taking a small sip. Where it was sweet as honey the day before, it now tasted bland and flavorless.

"Thank you," Kagami said to woman.

"So tell me, is it your family?" she said as she turned to him.

Kagami shook his head.

"Girlfriend?"

Another shake of the head.

"An important friend, then?"

Kagami stayed still for a moment, before finally nodding slowly.

"I see." The woman lowered her voice to a soft whisper and smiled, "forgive my rudeness, but..it's not just a friend, is it?"

"..no," Kagami answered, his voice also low as a whisper, "he isn't. He's so much more. But he forgot about me already. It just wasn't meant to happen."

"Are you giving up?" the woman asked.

"What else can I do?" he replied.

"That's up to you." She took his hand and gave it a gentle, but reassuring squeeze.

"Kagamin!" a pink haired girl called from down the hall. Both the woman and Kagami turned and saw that Momoi was standing there, looking as concerned as always.

"I hope you make the right choice, young man." The woman gave one last smile before getting up and leaving Kagami. Momoi walked up to him and let out a bright smile, even though one glance at Kagami's swollen eyes told her everything.

"So...are you two okay?" Momoi swallowed. She wasn't sure if this question was a landmine, but needed to ask it anyway. Kagami made no effort to move from his seat, but he still answered her.

"Aomine lost his memories. The ones after the accident. He seemed to remember everything else though." Kagami told her matter-of-factly.

Momoi, however, heard the underlying message loud and clear, "have you made up your mind on what to do then?" Her voice was steady, but her eyes screamed worry.

Kagami stared at the red bean soup in his hand one last time, and then, bringing it to his mouth again, he chugged the whole drink.

"Yeah, Momoi, I have," he told her as he felt the sweet paste roll over his taste buds and into his stomach. Soon, nothing was left but the taste of his own saliva.

_I'm sorry, Daiki._


	30. Chapter 29

The doctor nodded at Momoi as she walked into the room. Aomine turned his head and gave her a quizzical look.

"Satsuki? Where the hell did Bakagami go?" Momoi had walked in alone and Kagami was nowhere to be seen.

"Kagamin had been here all night, so he went home to get some rest. I'm taking over looking after you!" She let out a cheerful smile and held up a small package wrapped in cloth. Aomine broke out in a cold sweat.

_Shit. She cooked._

"-ahem." They were interrupted by the sound of coughing. Momoi turned her head and smiled sheepishly at the doctor. They had forgotten that he was there.

"Sorry! So how is he?" she asked hopefully.

The doctor gave her another passing glance before looking down at his clipboard. "There is nothing abnormal about his health. In fact, everything is fine. His old memories have also returned, but it seems he's forgotten everything else. He didn't remember the accident nor what he had been doing up until now. He may or may not remember, and I would like to keep him here for another day to make sure that everything is okay."

Momoi nodded as the doctor gave her his explanation, but halfway through it, her eyes lost their shine. He had forgotten Kagami, even though she was talking with Aomine just a few days ago about him. The doctor excused himself and tucked his clipboard under his arm before walking out of the room.

Momoi sat down by the bed and looked Aomine over, "Dai-chan, do you really not remember anything that happened?"

"No." Aomine's reply came quickly and it was filled with a tint of bitterness. "Enlighten me."

The thoughts of her conversation with Kagami passed through Momoi's head and she sighed exaggeratedly. Kagami's voice rang in her mind, _please don't tell him about us. _

"You got into an accident and there was a stab wound on you. You also forgot everything and became like a different person" Momoi started, "your parents were out of the country, so we didn't want you living alone. Instead, you lived with me and my family. Last night you fainted and I was at work and stuck in a snow storm, so I called everyone I knew. Kagami was the only person who was close to this hospital, so he agreed to look after you for the night."

Aomine nodded as he processed the new information. "So that's why the idiot was here. His eyes looked swollen though. Why the fuck was he crying?"

Momoi panicked and, for the lack of a better explanation, quickly offered a flimsy excuse, "..allergies?"

"It's winter, Satsuki. Pollen isn't that bad." Momoi cursed Aomine under her breath. Why couldn't he be more of an actual idiot?

"Maybe he broke up with his girlfriend," Momoi offered.

"I doubt that he's even capable of that." Aomine was eyeing Momoi. He was getting more and more suspicious.

"Okay, I'll tell you the truth." Momoi sighed, "when I asked him about his eyes earlier, he told me that it was because he had to skip his basketball practice to spend the whole night with you. The whole entire night. He cried at his luck."

"Ugh. Whatever." Aomine was either accepting that explanation as plausible, or he was just giving up because Momoi was obviously not going to tell him. Either way, he dropped the topic.

"So now that you remember everything again and your health is good and all, do you still want to come live with us?" Momoi asked.

Aomine thought about it for a bit, but his eyes glazed over, "nah. I think I'll go back to living alone."

"Alright. Just call us if you need anything, okay?" Seeing that Aomine was not going to reply any further, Momoi left the bento box she made on the end table and turned toward the door. "See ya, Dai-chan."

She walked out and closed the door behind her with a click. Aomine crawled back under his covers and rolled around several times, before lying flat on his stomach. He let out a big sigh and chuckled to himself.

_A stab wound, huh? So I was caught running away. And when they find out I'm still alive..it'll happen again?_

He was shocked from his thoughts when he heard a click. He turned his head and saw golden hair and a set of amber eyes staring at him.

"Daiki," the man called. Aomine flinched as he heard his name.

"Ryouta," Aomine snarled back, "it's fucking _gross_ when you drop the act in front of me."

"Haha, sorry, sorry," Kise continued, but his face was definitely not apologetic, "I heard you were hospitalized again and came to visit. I saw Momoi on the way in, but I made sure I hid myself so she didn't see me."

"I was perfectly content without your company." Kise had walked over and taken the seat next to the bed. He looked over at Aomine and burst out into laughter.

"Daiki, you are perfectly content being a burrito in your bed?" he asked.

Aomine rolled around again and untangled himself from his blanket to look more dignified, "I was. Until you came." He waited until Kise's laughter died down.

"So what did you really want?" Aomine asked as he eyed the other man. He bit his lip and forced the rest of the question out of himself, "are..are they coming?"

Kise gave Aomine a puzzled look, "huh?"

Aomine returned the same puzzled look, "what the hell do you mean 'huh'?"

Kise furrowed his brows. "Didn't you see my present?"

"What present? I don't remember anything that happened," Aomine retorted.

A look of understanding passed over Kise's face. "So you forgot. Well, what if I told you the present I gave you was a certain ring?" Kise reached into his pockets and took out a ring, similar to the one Aomine saw, but set with an amber gemstone.

Aomine's jaw dropped as he stared at Kise. His throat went dry, and he barely managed to utter a response.

"Is Aquamarine letting me go?"

Kise smiled gently, "yeah. You're free from them."

Tears rolled down Aomine's face, but he didn't care that Kise was in front of him, looking embarassed.

"Ao-Aominecchi. I know you're used to crying in front of me, but..imagine what other people would think when they see this!" Kise flailed his arms around, at a loss on what to do. Then a mischievous grin crept across his face. _Wait. This could be blackmail material. Imagine how many girls would _kill_ for this scene. _

Kise took out his phone slowly and was about to snap a shot, but a kick to his stomach sent him toppling to the floor.

"What the _fuck_ do you think you're doing?" Aomine snarled, wiping his tears away. "And stop calling me that. Your acting is fucking gross. I don't get how everyone else puts up with it."

"Ow.." Kise complained as he rubbed his back, "I was just going to take a few commemorative pictures.."

"No."

Kise sighed, but chuckled soon after. "But I'm glad to see that you're doing well, Daiki. Really glad." He pulled himself up off the floor and headed toward the door, "I'll see you some other time, then."

"Thanks, Ryouta," Aomine muttered under his breath as the other man walked out.

A smile crept across Kise's face as he closed the door behind him with a click.


	31. Chapter 30

**Author's notes**

Sorry for another short chapter and such a long wait time. School work's been piling up among other things, so I barely have any time left to write. I'll try to do so as much as I can, and thank you again for the continued support.

* * *

><p>Kagami unlocked the door to his apartment and stepped inside. He kicked off his shoes messily and left them there as he walked into the living room. The leather couch looked inviting and he sank his body into it with a big sigh. He looked around the room and realized that there wasn't a single trace of Aomine left. Sure, he had been living there, but it wasn't like he bought decorations or left his clothes lying around or anything. It wasn't meant to be a permanent living arrangement, and their time together had reached its end.<p>

The storm had let up in the night and the first ray of lights now appeared from the horizon. Kagami stood up and opened the door to the balcony, letting the cold morning air soothe his face. The thick layer of snow prevented him from stepping barefoot outside, but it was enough. He sat down cross-legged on the floor and watched the sun in the distance as it peeked out from above the skyline. The sky changed from dark blue to gray to pink and orange, and it was somehow comforting.

His body sagged and he leaned his head against the door frame, chuckling to himself. Despite all that they've been through, despite all the tears, he found that it seemed so far away. The world continued moving, and he needed to continue with his life. Only one thought rang through his mind, and he found it sort of calming.

_I can do this...I can give up on him. _

It wasn't like he had much of a choice. The Daiki he knew and loved was gone, now replaced by Aomine. Or rather, Aomine had come back. Daiki was never meant to stay. It was something he had completely forgotten about as he fell head over heels for the man. But now he knew that it just wasn't meant to be. It was time for him to take those feelings he harbored for Daiki and box them away. It was time to return to normality.

Kagami idled for a little longer, letting the warm sunlight wash over him. Then he stood up and slid the glass door back in place. A loud sigh escaped his lungs and only then did he realize that he was tired. His legs carried him to his room, and he froze in place at the sight. Aomine's clothes were lying everywhere. He took a deep breath and steeled himself. It looks like he wasn't sleeping just yet. He picked up his clothes one by one and stuffed them into his duffel bag. How the heck was he going to return it to Aomine and make up a good excuse while doing that? Deciding that Aomine probably wouldn't miss the clothes very much, he dumped the duffel into his closet and scanned the room.

_Good. Nothing left._

He grabbed a towel and headed into the bathroom in the shower, trashing the extra toothbrush that he saw there.

_Shit. What else did I forget?_

He started peeling his clothes off of himself, but noticed himself in the mirror. More specifically, he noticed a red spot on himself in the mirror. Almost immediately, he opened the cabinet and found a plus size bandaid, which he used to cover up the hickey. He hoped that it wasn't too conspicuous.

Running one last mental check, his breathing calmed and he hopped into the shower. He let out a sigh as his muscles relaxed from the warm spray.


	32. Chapter 31

Kagami rolled around in bed. This was going to be harder than he thought. Every time he closed his eyes, the silence of the room would close in and his thoughts would come floating back to him. Thoughts of Aomine continuously assaulted his mind—the low sound of his voice, the feel of his rough hands, the warmth of his body. These thoughts certainly didn't calm the bulge that was between his legs for a while now. Kagami rolled again and buried his face into his pillow in an attempt to drown out those thoughts, but quickly brought his head up again with several coughs as his air supply disappeared.

He paused and bit his lip as his hand snaked down his body. Maybe if he just took care of it..he'd be able to sleep. His shorts were pulled down shortly and he sighed as skin met skin. Instead of blocking out Aomine like he had been doing just a moment ago, he let the thoughts play out. His breathing quickened as invisible hands ran down his back and chest. Another low gasp escaped as those hands grabbed between his legs and started stroking. A deep kiss was planted onto his own lips and a rough tongue forced its way into his mouth—the taste of Aomine. He let out another low guttural moan and tilted his head back as he was sent over the edge by the other man.

His sprawled out on his bed, breathing laboriously, as he calmed down from his high. What the hell did he just do? He just used the man he was supposed to be forgetting as jack off material. And hell, it felt better than any other porn that he watched. His eyes glanced at his sticky hands and he felt himself blush. Forgetting Aomine was definitely going to be hard.

* * *

><p>A buzzing woke Kagami from his sleep. His hand reached out and fumbled around on the table until it finally found what it was looking for. He put the phone up to his ear and answered.<p>

"Hello?"

"Kagamin!"

Kagami felt his senses returning to him when he heard the other voice on the line. Momoi's usual cheerfulness was not there; rather, it was replaced by a sense of urgency and worry.

"Uh, what's up?" he ventured to ask. He glanced at the clock. 9:10 PM. He had slept through the morning and afternoon.

Momoi barely waited for him to finish before continuing, "it's Dai-chan! He disappeared! Apparently he asked for early leave from the hospital and they allowed it because he seemed like he was completely fine. I thought he would head home straight after, but he wasn't there when I visited to drop off food."

"His phone was on him, right? He didn't pick up?" Kagami was also getting restless. The thought of Aomine roaming the city at night when he just got his memories back didn't appeal to him. He ran through the list of all the places Aomine could have gone but came up blank.

"No..his phone was turned off when I tried calling him," Momoi whispered, "where could he have gone..?"

Kagami rolled himself out of bed and started putting on his clothes, "don't worry Momoi, I'll head out now and try to see if I can find him anywhere."

"Mmm. Okay," she replied, trying to sound cheerful, "I'll try looking around here, too."

"No, you should go home for now." It was late at night and the prospect of Momoi wandering around was also not appealing to Kagami, "he might show up at your house, since that's where you told him he was living during the accident. Let me go instead. I'll give you a call in thirty minutes."

Momoi agreed and Kagami hung up. He wrapped a scarf around himself, hoping that the cold air would be bearable right now. He threw his shoes on and ran out the door.

* * *

><p>Aomine sighed as he trudged through the layer of snow that piled on the streets. He regained his memories, but he felt like something was missing. His mind couldn't focus on anything, not even the knowledge that Aquamarine had finally left him alone. Deciding that thinking about memories won't solve anything, he let his body wander the same way. He thought that it would bring him back to either his house or Momoi's house, but instead, it wandered into another part of the city- a part that he wasn't completely unfamiliar with.<p>

Snow had started falling again, but Aomine didn't care that the flakes were piling on him. The deafening silence was comforting in a way. It seemed appropriate that his body was bringing him back to that park. It was a place where he would go whenever he needed some silence from the world- a place where he could recollect himself. And now he was going there again. His feet continued through the snow, lifting slowly and stepping softly. Left, right, left, right. It was slightly different from the brisk pace he was used to, mechanical even. But it was fine this way.

He saw the view of the park as he rounded the corner and let out a smile. This place was now empty and rundown, but it still offered the same amount of comfort as the first time he came. He trudged a little further and saw a set of tracks in the snow heading in the direction of the park. His body followed it, keeping in step with a set of tracks that seemed similar to his own. It led him to the entrance of the park and he turned toward the swings. His mind wanted to go and sit, but his body wasn't budging. Surprisingly, the set of footsteps he was following also stopped here. Only one set of tracks continued from the spot, and these were clearer than before.

It finally clicked in Aomine's head. One of them must be carrying the other, causing clearer prints. Probably a couple. Amused, he decided to follow the tracks, since his body apparently didn't seem to want to go into the park anyway. He continued on his walk and noticed that the tracks didn't seem to go straight. They stepped everywhere at times, sort of like the two people were fooling around. There was even a snow mound where it seemed like a person had been thrown into. Two sets of footsteps appeared again, but quickly converged into one. A light hop onto the other. More scuffled tracks. Aomine found himself chuckling at this. They must be having fun.

He continued following the couple until they reached an apartment complex. He decided to stop following them, since it made him seem like a creep, but his body wouldn't head back. He stared as the trail disappeared into the building and gulped. Guess he was going to continue. His body walked forward and into the building. A moment later he found himself in an elevator heading up. He had no idea how his body could have known which button to press, but his fingers pressed something anyway. The door opened with a ding on the top floor and the trail resumed again in the snow that had fallen in the open hallway.

He found the apartment unit that the tracks led to and stopped in front of it. His finger was about to press the doorbell, but luckily his other hand was still in his own control. Following someone's tracks and finding out where they live was beyond creepy. He was definitely in the realm of stalkers now. He stood for a while longer, but decided that his body had had enough free reign for the day. He willed himself to turn around, and fortunately, he did. He sighed, relieved that his body was at least still his, taking another step back in the direction he came.

All of a sudden, a door swung open behind him and another man rushed out. Body met body and send both of them crashing into the thick blanket of snow.

"-ow.." Aomine said as he rubbed his back. He glanced upward and froze as blue eyes met red.


	33. Chapter 32

What made Aomine freeze was shock- not shock from the fact that he got tackled to the ground, but rather, shock from the fact that it was Kagami that he stalked. Kagami regained his senses first and quickly sent a fist that connected with Aomine's stomach.

"-ow! What gives?!" Aomine barked.

Kagami didn't give him a chance to go on as he shouted back, "you dumbass! Where the hell were you at? Momoi was worried sick! Why the hell was your phone off anyway?!"

Aomine looked a little sheepish as he realized what Momoi might have gone through, running everywhere looking for him. He didn't mean to cause all that worry. He only wanted to relax by himself for a bit. He glanced at Kagami and it seemed like he was expecting an answer.

"I, uh, went for a walk," he managed to say.

Kagami eyed him suspiciously, but finally drew back from the questionable position they were in. He got back onto his feet and sent a quick text on his phone. Probably to Momoi.

"So how long are you gonna lie around in the snow?" Kagami said as he unlocked the door to his apartment, "come on in." Without waiting to see what Aomine would do, he walked back into the unit, leaving the door open.

Aomine lied there in silence. Was Kagami inviting him in? What about the other person that was there? He definitely didn't want to interrupt any sort of love making. Heck, he never thought Kagami would be one to have a girlfriend.

"-achoo!" He sniffled and sighed, getting off the snow and on his feet. He had been out all night in the snow and staying there wasn't going to make him any more dry. He walked through the door and let it close softly behind him. His eyes scanned for Kagami but he was nowhere to be seen, so he kicked off his shoes and wandered further in. There was a great deal of red in the room, from the shelves to the table, and he found that he liked it. It felt warm.

Kagami emerged from his room a moment later in sweats and a long sleeve shirt. He noticed Aomine standing and looking around uncomfortably.

"..what?" Kagami said.

"Uh..I don't see your girlfriend. Is she in your room?" Aomine asked.

"...the fuck are you saying?" Kagami snapped back, "I don't _have_ a girlfriend. It's just me here."

"Oh," Aomine wasn't so sure about that, but decided that prying further was not going to end well.

"Anyway, you didn't eat yet, right? I'll make you something. You can stay here tonight. Go get a change of clothes from my room. We're practically the same size anyway." Kagami's words were hospitable, but it sounded like that was the farthest thing from what he wanted to be. Then again, it _was_ Aomine he was talking to. That would only be normal.

Aomine grunted in affirmation and walked into Kagami's bedroom. Everything was arranged neatly on his desk and there weren't any clothes lying around. This was something new to Aomine. His own room was practically a dump.

He walked over to the closet and his eyes wandered over the outfits. He noticed a bunch of clothes sticking out from a duffel bag. They looked awfully familiar. Too familiar. He reached for the bag and poured the clothes out onto the floor. They really were his clothes. What the hell were they doing in Kagami's room? A feeling of dread rose in his body and his heartbeat quickened. He simply kept looking at his own clothes, eyes darting to and fro among them. There was no mistake. They were his.

Just then he noticed a flash a silver out of the corner if his eyes. He looked closer and saw a ring. His ring. That was the one thing that he wouldn't forget. His stomach lurched. His mind and hand wandered back to his cellphone. He pushed the on button and swallowed hard as he waited for the phone to boot up. Maybe what he saw before...wasn't a trick of the eye. A ping sounded and he navigated to his photos, scrolling through them and finally settling on one incriminating photo. Aomine's throat went dry. He didn't see wrong before.

Kagami was sleeping peacefully in the photo. And then there was Aomine, with a hand around Kagami's shoulder and a silly smirk on his face.


	34. Chapter 33

Suddenly, everything clicked in Aomine's head. The tracks he had been following- they were his and Kagami's footsteps. He recalled thinking about how happy the couple must be. The two of them. Rather than repulsed by the thought like he thought he should be, he found that his mind was entertaining the idea of them being together. He was never one to discriminate (it had been too much work) and was rather open to same sex relationships.

"Aomine!" Kagami called from the kitchen, "food's ready!"

Aomine snapped out of his trance and dragged his body out of the room. Kagami was heading into the living room, a plate of spaghetti in each hand. Even though Aomine wasn't sure what the hell had happened between them, one thing was certain. Kagami was definitely attractive- and he was definitely attracted. His gaze roamed over the redhead's chiseled body, and he found that he couldn't tear his eyes away.

Kagami had set the plates down and turned back toward the kitchen, but he stopped when he met Aomine's gaze. A scowl immediately formed on his face.

"What the hell have you been doing?" He motioned at Aomine's clothes. He was still in the same clothes he had walked in with, only difference now being that the snow melted and he was soaked. Aomine didn't seem like he was paying any attention to what he was saying, so Kagami simply groaned in exasperation and made for his room, grabbing Aomine's hand and dragging the man behind him.

Kagami walked into his room and stopped.

_Oh. _

Aomine's clothes were dumped all over his floor, and he realized what the other man was probably trying to figure out. He glanced over at Aomine and the other man simply raised his eyebrow, demanding an answer.

"I, uh, I..this isn't w-what it looks like," Kagami stammered as he tried to come up with a suitable reason for those clothes being there.

Aomine smirked. This nervous Kagami was different from the one he was used to. It wasn't necessarily worse than the one he was used to; if anything, he found this Kagami rather cute, and couldn't help teasing.

"So what does it look like then?" Aomine asked nonchalantly.

Kagami figured that any excuse short of revealing their previous relationship was better than no excuse at this point, "uh, sometimes you just come and sleep over because you wanted to talk to me about your memories?"

Aomine's eyebrow shot up again. Kagami cursed himself for sounding so unsure. If there was one thing he realized when living with Aomine, it's that the man was much more perceptive than he was leading on. He hid it well behind that lazy and carefree attitude. But in reality, he was probably at least a little aware of what was going on.

"You suck at lying" Aomine said simply.

Kagami opened his mouth to deny it, but Aomine's eyes seem to see through him, so he just closed his mouth again and stared away. Aomine's gaze didn't shift and it made Kagami just a little uncomfortable. He was also getting tired of letting Kagami come up with excuses and answers. And waiting. Waiting wasn't something he liked to do.

"Not going to talk, huh?" Aomine began, "fine, then I'll do the asking." It was obvious to Aomine that they had been together, from the way Kagami looked at him, both at the hospital and now. All it took now was to drag the truth out of Kagami.

Kagami made no move to refuse, so Aomine continued, "so which one of us topped?"

"W-what?" Kagami's face turned red immediately. He had been expecting uncomfortable questions and that he would possibly have to reveal the truth, but he had _not_ been expecting this question. Then again, it's straightforward-ness is just like Aomine. He didn't wait around.

A smirk appeared on Aomine's face again, "I'm asking which of us topped. You know, who did who?"

"We didn't freaking have sex!" Kagami blurted out.

Aomine's eyes roamed over Kagami's body rather exaggeratedly, causing the redhead to turn another shade redder and cover himself with his arms.

"So you mean to say..all that time and I haven't _done_ anything yet?" Aomine sighed.

"N-no!" Kagami shouted back, "and where the fuck are you looking?!"

Aomine shrugged in response, "so what the heck did we do?"

"We just hung out and stuff! We were _not_ in love," Kagami thought he had to add that last point to reassert himself, but he knew neither he nor Aomine was buying it.

Aomine sighed again, taking out his phone and flipping to the photo of him and Kagami in the ferris wheel. He showed it to Kagami, "..just hung out, huh?"

Kagami looked the photo over and gasped.

Oh. _Oh. _So _that's_ why his phone was off.

There he was, sleeping peacefully in Aomine's arms with a blissful look on his face.

Kagami looked off to the side, "I was just sleepy. That's all.."

Aomine smirked. He supposed this was as close to admitting the truth as Kagami would get. He stepped closer and wrapped one arm behind Kagami's neck and placed his other hand on Kagami's chin, turning his gaze toward himself. His head leaned in, until he was only centimeters away from him.

"So, did we..do this? While hanging out?" Aomine whispered seductively. He could feel Kagami tense up, could feel Kagmai leaning his weight on him, and could definitely feel Kagami's hot breath on his lips.

Kagami lost it. He knew that this Aomine was different from the one he fell in love with, but at the same time, he felt like he was the same. They were too similar- their voice, their attitudes, their actions, everything about them was still the same. And Kagami found that he couldn't hold back.

His hands wrapped around Aomine's body and he closed the several centimeters between them and pressed a hot kiss onto soft lips. Aomine was caught off guard, but he quickly realized what had happened, and he wasn't going to pass up this chance to kiss Kagami, with love or without. His tongue pushed into the other man's mouth, and Kagami parted his lips more to let him in.

Aomine gained dominance over the kiss and pushed forward, causing Kagami to stumble backwards. Eventually, Kagami's legs met the side of the bed and the two of them fell onto the bed, lips finally off each other and gasping for breath. Aomine got up on his knees and hands and stared down at the redhead underneath him. He looked like a hot mess. Those eyes stared back at him hungrily, and Aomine chuckled before leaning down for another kiss, this time more gentle. He parted shortly after, but Kagami wasn't satisfied, lifting his head up to meet Aomine's lips again. This continued several more times, each time with Aomine pulling back faster, until Kagami decided that he was done being played with.

One arm wrapped around Aomine and he rolled, sending the other man onto his back. Kagami looked down at Aomine and closed in once again, this time forcing his tongue into Aomine's mouth. The other man groaned and opened his mouth, deepening the kiss. Kagami's hand went underneath Aomine's shirt and roamed over his abs and chest. The contact caused Aomine to let out several moans, which aroused Kagami even further. He continued to explore Aomine's mouth, but felt a strong hand in his hair trying to pull his head back. Kagami's own free hand grabbed the other hand and held it down into the sheets. He deepened the kiss even more before finally letting up, flicking his tongue over the other man's lips before parting.

Aomine let out a gasp and started panting heavily, "w-what..what the fuck..was that?!"

Kagami snapped out of his own trance and blushed when he saw the mess of a person underneath him. Aomine's shirt was rolled up his body and revealed tanned skin, while the man himself was sprawled out trying to catch his breath. A lot of snow had melted on him and the bed, making him look like a hot and wet mess. Kagami got off the other man and sat cross-legged next to him.

"I, uh..I'm sorry. That wasn't supposed to happen" Kagami whispered.

Aomine had calmed down a little, but was still breathing heavily, "fuck, of course not. I almost _suffocated_. If that happens again..I'm going to punch you so hard you won't know what hit you."

"Y-yeah" Kagami stammered, sensing the killing intent in that voice. He quickly changed the subject, "so..uhm. Dinner's getting cold. Let's go eat."

"Yeah," Aomine retorted, "before you get hungry and eat me."


	35. Chapter 34

Kagami stared awkwardly at his plate of spaghetti and quietly slurped on a single strand of noodle. He thought he was ready to give up, but judging by what he had just done to the other man, that was definitely not the case. What made it worse was the fact that Aomine didn't fight back. He accepted the kiss, and heck, he even kissed back. Did that mean he might have a chance? His eyes flickered upward- Aomine was focused on his food. As if he felt Kagami staring at him, his eyes shot up and before Kagami realized it, they were staring at each other. Aomine's eyebrows furrowed, as if to ask, "w_hat the hell do you want?_"

_It's now or never, _Kagami thought. He sat up straight and took a deep breath. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. He knew what it was that he wanted to ask, but he couldn't find the words to articulate it. Sure, if he asked, he'd know how Aomine felt, but on the flip side, what if he didn't feel the same? Then it'd be like this morning all over again, coping with feelings of loneliness.

"...uhhh..." Kagami managed to mumble, "nice weather, huh?" Anything to stall for time. Aomine had put his fork down and focused his attention on Kagami. It was obvious that Aomine knew that wasn't the question he wanted to ask.

"It's freezing out," Aomine deadpanned.

"Haha..ha...I guess it is," Kagami said and buried his face into his food.

Aomine glared at Kagami and reached across the table, grabbing Kagami's plate of spaghetti and repositioning it out of his reach.

"H-hey!" Kagami exclaimed. If there was one thing that no one messed with, it would be his food. Aomine had crossed that line. Kagami swiped Aomine's plate away from him and glared menacingly, "food for food. Or we both stay hungry."

"Tch," Aomine made an audible sound of annoyance, but still didn't hand the plate back, "I'll give it back when you tell me what you're thinking. What the hell were you spacing out about?"

Kagami's face softened slightly. Aomine was looking at him with expectant eyes, his face full of concern. But Kagami remained silent.

"..were you thinking about me? ..about _us_?" Aomine asked after what seemed like an eternity.

Still nothing. Kagami averted his eyes.

"You were, weren't you?" Aomine continued, "look, just tell me what you-"

"I was! Okay?! I was thinking about us!" Kagami interrupted, face flushed from embarassment, "now stop asking me!"

An awkward silence passed before Kagami spoke again, "I was wondering what the heck we are supposed to be now. I mean, I k-kissed you, and you, uh, kissed me back. What does that make us? Are we..you know? Going out?"

Another silence descended around the table. Kagami cursed himself for blurting out his thoughts all of a sudden. But he found himself remembering the look that Aomine had on his face, a look like he was concerned- he looked like he cared. His pulse raced. Maybe that was indication that something could happen. Certainly Aomine would-

"-I'm sorry," Aomine whispered.

Kagami heard his own heart drop.

"Listen, I-"

Before Aomine could continue any further, Kagami slammed the plate of food he was holding onto the table.

"Stop," Kagami whispered back, "it's enough already. I'm finished eating. I'm going to take a shower." With that, he got up and rushed into his room for a towel before heading into the bathroom. Aomine made no attempt to stop him, but simply stared at the table.

Kagami closed the bathroom door softly behind him and leaned onto the wall. Looks like that was that. Aomine didn't feel the same way.


	36. Chapter 35

Aomine sat in silence in Kagami's room. After a shower, Kagami came out acting like nothing had happened. Being used to the previous living arrangements, he told Aomine to take the bedroom and he would stay in the living room with his futon. And this was exactly how Aomine found himself ready to smash his head against the desk. Why the hell did he reject Kagami? He certainly had thought the redhead was attractive-sexy even-so why the hell didn't he jump at the chance? Sure, there wasn't any love, but love wasn't something that he needed. Just a whole lot of sex-which, once again, made him ask himself why he passed up on the chance.

He scratched his head in frustration. One thing was certain: he didn't like the face that Kagami made. Despite not having any feelings for the man, his heart still ached. Something about the way that Kagami's face visibly dropped-something about it-just made his own heart sink. It was a new feeling. One he had never felt before. Maybe he really just wanted to treat Kagami gently, to not let him down.

He waved the thought away. Him? Aomine? Looking to treat another man gently? Probably not. All he wanted was to have some fun tonight, and he ruined his own chances. But maybe it wasn't too late, since Kagami _was_ practically a door away, sleeping no less. Perhaps he could just attack the other man-Kagami _was_ in love with him.

Aomine peeked out from the door and saw that Kagami was sleeping peacefully on his side, back turned toward him. Perfect opportunity for an attack. Aomine sneaked out of the room and closed in on Kagami, being careful not to make too much noise. Soon, he reached Kagami and was ready to pounce, but he stopped short as the sleeping figure rolled onto his back. Aomine caught a glimpse of Kagami's face and whatever energy and malicious intent he had at the time had left him.

Kagami had been crying. It was evident from the way his eyes were slightly swollen and red. Aomine felt his heart sink again. What the hell was this nagging feeling in his chest? Every time he saw Kagami's face lately, the feeling would come back. At the hospital, at Kagami's front door, in his room, each and every time, the feeling came nagging at him, stronger than before.

"Daiki.." Kagami mumbled suddenly.

Aomine felt a shiver crawl up his spine as he heard his own name. It wasn't one of those shivers from fear, nor was it one from the cold. It was the kind that you get when you hear your lover calling you for the first time. The kind that made you realize how happy you were.

He felt a blush rising in his cheek. What the hell. Kagami wasn't even awake and he was still blushing like a school girl in love. He sat down on the floor next to Kagami and stared long and hard at the other man's face. As much as Aomine wanted to deny it right then, he was certain that that would be the face of his lover. It didn't matter how he came to love Kagami. It didn't matter that he had thought he didn't. Hell, it didn't even matter that he realized because he was a sleazy bastard that wanted to attack a sleeping man at night. All that mattered was that he knew he was in love now. He turned several shades redder, but stopped fighting it-reasoning being that no one was awake to see it.

"I'm sorry," Aomine whispered, "for taking this long. It's okay to hate me, but now, I'm the one in love with you. I'll make you love me again."

He brushed Kagami's cheek with his hand and smiled to himself. He definitely loved this face. He leaned in closer and pressed a kiss onto Kagami's lips-a gentle kiss, unlike the one earlier. Aomine didn't know if his face could get any redder, but if it could, it did. This kiss was different, but it felt good. Another tingly feeling crawled on his skin. How was it that Kagami could make him feel this way so easily?

He propped himself up and turned to leave, but Kagami's hand shot up and grabbed his wrist.

"Daiki.." he mumbled again.

Aomine smiled again. This Kagami, he could get used to. He removed the hand on his wrist, crawled to the opposite side of the futon, and sat down against the couch before lacing his fingers together with Kagami's.

"You asked for it," he smirked, "I'm not letting go again."


	37. Chapter 36

Aomine awoke with a jolt. The first rays of sunlight peeked out from the horizon. He rubbed his eyes with his right hand and made to stretch with his left, but was stopped when he felt resistance. He looked down at his hand and realization came rushing back.

_Oh. Right. You're still asleep. _

As if right on cue to his thoughts, the redhead started to stir.

_Shit. I know I said I'm not letting go, Kagami, but I'm not ready yet! What the hell am I going to say to you?! _

Desperate for even a little more time to think, Aomine eased back into his sleeping position and closed his eyes. He could feel the other man tense up, probably from seeing Aomine there. For a moment, there was no other noise or movement and Aomine could not make out what was happening. He could only hope for the best as his mind worked overtime to come up with what to say.

All of a sudden, Aomine felt another hand on the hand holding onto Kagami. He felt his fingers being unlaced slowly, as if Kagami was trying to not wake him. His hand was eventually pried off of the other man, followed by a soft rustling of sheets.

_Shit. He's leaving. Do something, Aomine!_

Aomine's hand shot out and grabbed Kagami's wrist just as he was starting to stand up.

"Ah. W-wait," Aomine managed to utter.

Kagami tensed up again, but his voice was steady, "so you were awake?" Kagami did not withdraw his hand, but at the same time, he did not turn to face Aomine. It was hard to tell what he was thinking.

"Yeah," Aomine answered, but quickly added, "I woke up right before you did."

"..so why were you sleeping here?" Kagami asked. The words "and holding my hand" seemed to have gone unsaid, but nonetheless understood.

Aomine wasn't ready for this question just yet. He hadn't thought of a proper line yet. So he figured the hard truth was all he could say. This was no time for pride and cover ups.

"I wanted to."

Kagami turned toward Aomine and eyed him suspiciously. "In other words..you were horny as fuck and wanted to attack me in my sleep last night? Even though you rejected me?"

Aomine flinched. Kagami had hit the bullseye. He gulped and confirmed it with silence. Kagami was definitely going to get upset. He closed his eyes and gritted his teeth as waited for a punch.

But none came. Aomine opened an eye slowly to peek at the redhead. Aomine flinched again. Kagami wore a stony faced expression.

"So you wanted to give me a pity fuck, huh?" Kagami's voice trembled as he asked the question. "Fine, I'll take it. I already seem desperate enough, don't I?"

Before Aomine could react, Kagami closed the gap between them and roughly nipped his neck.

"-ow!" Aomine cursed, but Kagami made no move to stop. He left bite marks down Aomine's neck and across his shoulder, drawing blood as he continued.

Aomine grimaced as he felt pain surge through his body. This was not what he had in mind. All of a sudden, Kagami stopped in the middle of another bite and Aomine could feel something other than blood rolling down his back and being soaked up by his shirt. Kagami was crying again.

"I'm sorry. I can't," Kagami whispered.

Aomine wrapped his arms around Kagami and pulled him into a tight hug. Kagami didn't deserve this. This was all wrong. If Kagami had the courage to ask last night, then surely Aomine could do the same. At least, he shouldn't be making Kagami suffer. He took a deep breath and collected his thoughts.

"Listen. Last night I wanted to attack you in your sleep, that much was true. But I also realized that you actually meant a lot to me. A lot more than I thought at first. So I sat here all night and this morning trying to come up with the perfect way to make sure you wanted me back again."

Aomine ran a hand through Kagami's hair, and he could feel Kagami calming down. There was no other response, so he continued.

"I know I was late, and I really shouldn't have given up the chance to be with you, but if you still want me, then I'm yours. Because I know now, that I definitely want you. Not just your body, but all of you."

Aomine eased Kagami back so they could see each other. He placed his hands on Kagami's face and wiped the teardrops away. A gentle smile broke out as he voiced his question, "so, Kagami, would you go out with me?"

Kagami wanted to say how much Aomine meant to him, how often he dreamt that this moment would come, how much he didn't mind that it took so long, but no words came out when he opened his mouth to speak. All he could was nod furiously.

Aomine's heart breathed a sigh of relief. So Kagami didn't give up yet. He thanked the gods for being merciful and made a vow to pray to them next year. Kagami was still nodding, but Aomine couldn't help himself and closed the space between them, landing a gentle kiss on Kagami's lips.


End file.
